NFL free agency Junior Galette visits Oakland Raiders

Given the number of Kansas City Chiefs who were wanting Junior Galette to join the team in free agency, his latest visit will be a frustrating bit of news.

The Kansas City Chiefs have already added several new pieces on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, including a few new members of the secondary, a new starting linebacker and a new defensive lineman. But some members of Chiefs Kingdom were hopeful also about bringing in a free agent pass rusher—specifically, a free agent named Junior Galette.

Instead, Galette is taking free agent visits elsewhere, and the latest will be frustrating for Chiefs fans because he’s taking a trip to the team’s AFC rivals, the Oakland Raiders.

After flirting with the idea of potentially bringing him back, Washington’s front office finally let Galette know that he would be allowed to walk in free agency without any overtures of bringing him back—conversations that sound like the one the Chiefs had with longtime linebacker Derrick Johnson. Since free agency began, Galette’s name has been mentioned here and there, but this Oakland interest is obviously substantial enough for a visit.

The former Washington Redskins pass rusher has been a popular name due to his interaction with many members of Chiefs Twitter, talking positively about potentially joining the Chiefs. The addition of such a player would give the Chiefs a known quantity rather than depending on a best case scenario of Tanoh Kpassagnon developing as hoped or Dee Ford rebounding from a serious back problem or on a rookie being able to come in and make an instant impact.

Galette, 30, had 3 sacks in 16 games as a situational pass rusher for the Redskins last year, but he had double digit sacks the two previous seasons in the NFL as a starter on the outside for the New Orleans Saints.