One of the NFL’s top young defenders just became a free agent.
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As if the Eagles-Browns trade wasn’t big enough news for the NFL Wednesday, this afternoon the Panthers in a stunning move rescinded the franchise tag from all-pro cornerback Josh Norman.
Norman will immediately be eligible to sign with any team in the league as an unrestricted free agent after failing to sign a franchise tender that would have paid him $13.95 million for the 2016 season. Other teams could have negotiated with him, but it would have cost them two first-round picks had he left the Panthers.
So why the move?
According to general manager Dave Gettleman, a long-term deal between Josh Norman and the Panthers was not possible.
It also couldn’t have eased the tension that Norman had no plans of attending the team’s voluntary workouts, which start April 25. Could the Panthers’ plans be changing suddenly?
The market suggests Norman could get anywhere from $15 million to $16 million in a long-term deal. The Jags allowed the most points in the AFC past year and ranked 29th against the pass, so Norman would certainly be a welcome addition to an ascending team that could meet what are apparently lofty contractual demands. Norman would provide a nice veteran presence opposite young CB Kyle Fuller, and the Bears seem to be another team with enough left in the cookie jar – more than $20 million in cap space – to potentially meet Norman’s asking price.
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Keep an eye on the 49ers. That also would make for a fantastic rivalry with Sherman and Peterson in the NFC West. Good luck to whichever quarterback the Rams take first in the draft. But he hadn’t signed it, so the Panthers retained the right to rescind the offer.
