The Sports Xchange

METAIRIE, La. — The New Orleans Saints might have gotten some good news to end their offseason program when outside linebacker Junior Galette learned that he won’t have to have surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.

Galette, who sat out the last two weeks of OTAs and was not present Tuesday when the Saints opened their three-day minicamp, was reportedly told by Dr. James Andrews that his injury could be rehabbed through rest and rehabilitation.

If Galette had undergone surgery, one of the team’s top pass rushers would have been sidelined for training camp and perhaps the entire season — with a best-case scenario that he’d miss the first six games on the physically unable to perform list.

But the Saints are now hopeful the six-year vet, who was injured while lifting weights after logging a team-high 12 sacks last season, could be back in time for camp.

“We’re optimistic,” Saints coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. “I think all along we’ve kind of just been wanting to make sure there were enough eyes on him, kind of do the best thing as we approach this break.”

“We’ll see,” Payton said when asked if Galette could return some time in August, “but I think that’s the plan.”

–Former Saints kicker John Carney was brought in by the team to help him work with their two candidates to replace departed Shayne Graham — Dustin Hopkins and Zach Hocker.

Carney, who was with the Saints from 2001 to 2006 and again in 2009, is working with the two youngsters during the team’s three-day minicamp that got under way Tuesday.

“He’s spending just three days here, kind of working with these young guys,” Payton said. “He’s kind of been close to the program and stayed involved. He’s got a training facility in San Diego and that keeps him busy.”

Carney, a 21-year NFL veteran who was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame last season, has helped the team when it was in a bind before. He lost his job to Garrett Hartley in 2009 but remained with the team as a consultant to help Hartley through its run to a win in Super Bowl XLIV.

–In addition to Galette, guard Cyril Lemon and defensive end Glenn Foster were not at Tuesday’s minicamp practice.

Watching from the sideline were wide receivers Marques Colston and Lance Lewis, defensive end Akiem Hicks and nose tackle Brodrick Bunkley. Rookie linebacker Davis Tull, who is rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, worked on the side and safety Kenny Vaccaro left practice early.

–Partly because of injuries to Bunkley and Foster as well as fellow defensive linemen Lawrence Virgil and Tavaris Barnes, the Saints on Monday signed six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams to a one-year contract.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old Williams, whose most productive seasons came when he played with the Minnesota Vikings from 2003 to 2013, was with the Seattle Seahawks last season.

In 12 seasons, Williams has played in 187 games. With the Seahawks, he started eight games and had 30 tackles and three sacks.

–In Tuesday’s minicamp practice, new center Max Unger and quarterbacks Drew Brees and Garrett Grayson had problems with their exchanges.

Brees and Unger had a couple of bad connections and Grayson, one of the team’s two third-round draft picks, also couldn’t bring one in.