Carolina Panthers free agent cornerback Josh Norman is getting a great opportunity through his recent release…
Carolina Panthers star cornerback Josh Norman has just gone through one of the most rare situations we have seen in NFL free agency, not just this year, but in most years.
What kind of team rescinds a franchise tag offer to a player without a long-term offer ready to go? What kind of team rids itself of a premiere cornerback coming off of a huge season and a rookie contract?
The answer: not many.
It’s not that the Panthers couldn’t afford Norman right now — they apparently have over $26 million in cap space now with Norman’s contract off the books (per Sportrac). It’s not that the Panthers don’t have a need for Norman, either. He was their best defensive player last year other than Luke Kuechly, and had elevated his game to a level that put him up there with the best cornerbacks in the game.
This situation, as odd as it is, is a really great opportunity from the perspective of Norman. With all the young players who get franchise tagged after their rookie contracts, Norman now has the opportunity to get his first big contract right away, but there’s a catch. Was Norman holding out for the right reasons? Did he threaten to miss games?
The Panthers likely had no interest in letting this turn into a long, drawn out process, and neither did Norman have any intent of playing games without a long-term deal. Why? Because Norman is already 28-years old coming off of his rookie contract.
When Norman entered the NFL in 2012, he was a 24-year old rookie. Four years later, when the majority of his 2012 draft peers are 25 or 26, Norman is already 28, where many guys would be two years into a new contract.
This game of hardball between Norman and the Panthers wasn’t going to end well for either party. Norman likely is asking for more than $14 million per season, something the Panthers can’t afford to pay long-term with all the other studs on their roster. Paying that much to one cornerback is borderline insane, especially since Norman hasn’t proven he can do it on an annual basis like Darrelle Revis.
Yes, he’s gotten better every year, but to play dominant football for an extended period of time? He hasn’t proven it. The Panthers understand that, and they can’t make the guaranteed dollar commitment to a player who is already 28, seeking the biggest contract of his career.
This might be Norman’s one shot at a big contract, and the Panthers are giving him the opportunity to get it.