Josh Norman

East Notes: Bradford, Jets, Bills, Dolphins

April 27th, 2016 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

Before re-signing him, the Eagles didn’t tell Sam Bradford they intended to draft a quarterback high in the first round, agent Tom Condon tells Sal Paolantonio of ESPN.com. And while Bradford is put off by the Eagles’ plan to draft his replacement, the former first overall pick also isn’t thrilled about the fact that the team gave up so many other assets to move up to the No. 2 spot.

“It’s his right to demand a trade and he wants to be traded,” Condon said. “Basically, our contention is that the team could have used the draft picks on offensive and defensive players for this season, to win this season. If the plan was to build for the future, where does that leave Sam this year?”

As we wait to see if anything happens with the Bradford situation this week, let’s check in on several other items from out of the NFL’s East divisions…

Within his latest look at the Muhammad Wilkerson saga in New York, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes that the Jets made a “Hail Mary attempt” to move up to the No. 1 pick before Los Angeles nabbed that pick from Tennessee. Mehta suggests that Gang Green would have been targeting Jared Goff if the long-shot trade attempt had worked out.
Veteran running back Matt Forte, who signed with the Jets last month, is hoping that the team re-signs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, as he said during an appearance on CBS Sports Radio (link via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “I’d be disappointed [if I don’t] get to work with him [given that he was here] last year and the good job he did,” Forte said. “But at the same time, you have to prepare yourself for the worst or if that doesn’t happen.”
One source tells Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) that Bills senior offensive assistant Chris Palmer “loves” quarterback Paxton Lynch. However, it’s very possible the Memphis product will be off the board by the time Buffalo picks at No. 19. On Tuesday, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported that the Bills are quite high on the QB.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald provides a handful of updates from the Dolphins‘ voluntary minicamp, noting within his piece that the team didn’t show any interest in cornerback Josh Norman when his camp was allowed to seek a trade before his franchise tag was rescinded.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Saints, Seahawks, Hayden

April 26th, 2016 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers were one of several teams who talked with the Panthers about a possible trade for Josh Norman before his franchise tag was rescinded, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. However, the talks didn’t get far. It’s worth noting that Norman would have had to either sign his franchise tag or agree to a long-term deal in order to make such a trade possible. The 49ers were one of many clubs to be connected to Norman when he became an unrestricted free agent last week but they ultimately did not land him.

Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC…

Before the Titans sent the No. 1 overall pick to Los Angeles, the Saints had discussions about moving up to No. 1 for a quarterback, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s not clear whether New Orleans actually engaged in talks with the Titans, or simply discussed the idea internally, but Rapoport wonders if the team will target Paxton Lynch in the first round.
Free agent defensive tackle Nick Hayden visited the Seahawks on Monday, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. Hayden has started 60 career NFL games, including 47 over the last three seasons in Dallas, making him one of the more experienced interior defenders still available on the open market.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) adds the Saints to the list of clubs that have worked out Cal running back Daniel Lasco in the weeks leading up to the draft. Lasco, whose stock is believed to be on the rise, worked out for at least five other teams besides New Orleans.
German wide receiver Moritz Boehringer expects to be selected in the draft this week, but if he isn’t picked, the Vikings would be a leading candidate to sign him as an undrafted free agent, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
The Buccaneers will bring in offensive lineman Nate Chandler and Brandon Mosley as tryout players for their three-day minicamp this week, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Chandler can play both tackle and guard.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Josh Norman Offered To Sign Franchise Tender

April 24th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

As he was on the verge of becoming one of the more noteworthy free agents in the NFL’s free agency era, Josh Norman looked for a way to stay with the Panthers.

The fifth-year cornerback called the Panthers and said he’d fire his agent, Michael George, and sign the $13.952MM non-exclusive franchise tender the team placed on him prior to free agency in an effort to further work toward a long-term deal, Mike Jones and Master Tefatsion report in an extensive breakdown for the Washington Post. But the Panthers had already filed the paperwork to rescind Norman’s tender, a source told Jones and Tefatsion, meaning Norman’s attempt was for naught as he was set for an unlikely sojourn into free agency.

Many Panthers coaches reportedly weren’t aware of the move as it was happening, sources told the Post reporters, and some on the Carolina staff wondered if a non-football component existed to induce the team to rescind the tender.

Norman was also given permission to seek a trade earlier as the gulf between the sides grew, and the Rams and 49ers were among the potential partners that could not agree on terms. Although, Norman was not aware how far apart the Panthers and George were on terms — a chasm that reached $25MM in totality — which hovered at the root of the 28-year-old All-Pro volunteering to fire his agent to help facilitate a deal in Carolina, the Post duo reports.

George sought a five-year deal averaging $16MM per season, which would have put Norman above Darrelle Revis among cornerback contracts, but the Panthers weren’t willing to go past $12MM AAV. According to a source, Jones and Tefatsion note the Panthers did not want to allocate that much money to a cornerback, a position the Dave Gettleman-managed franchise doesn’t value as much as front-seven cogs, when defensive linemen Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei entering their fourth years. Without a fifth-year option that exists for Lotulelei, Short is entering a contract season.

One of 11 teams who expressed interest in Norman, Washington ended up negotiating a five-year, $75MM accord for Norman with Ryan Williams, who took over as the ex-Coastal Carolina cornerback’s primary representative.

Washington’s top decision-makers were in agreement on Norman, according to the report, and the team had the parameters of an agreement in place on Thursday. DeAngelo Hall also met with Norman prior to his Washington visit to persuade him on joining the team.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Norman, Jets, Dolphins

April 24th, 2016 at 9:14am CST by Rory Parks

The addition of Josh Norman should pay big dividends on the field for Washington, at least for the next couple of seasons, but Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com is already looking ahead to the difficult choices that the team will have to make in 2017 as a result of the deal. For instance, Tandler suggests that Washington is gambling it will be able to sign Kirk Cousins to a long-term contract sometime before the start of the 2017 league year. If it has to put the franchise tag on Cousins again next season, at a projected value of $24MM, then Cousins and Norman, whose 2017 cap hit is $20MM, would be taking up more than a quarter of its overall cap space, a clearly untenable situation.

Further, regardless of what happens with Cousins, the Norman contract will also force some difficult decisions with regards to Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Jordan Reed, Junior Galette, and Chris Baker. Of course, Washington was probably not planning on retaining all of those players anyway, but it is now a near certainty that at least a couple of those players will be moving on after the 2016 season, particularly Garcon and Jackson. As such, Tandler further opines that the Norman contract increases the likelihood that Washington will take a wide receiver early in this week’s draft.

Now let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s East divisions:

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com weighs in on the Norman contract, and his examination of the overall contract, the cash flow, and the guarantee structure reveals that the deal is even more favorable to Norman than it appears on the surface, and is arguably the best contract for a cornerback in the entire NFL. The whole article is worth a read, but since the contract structure indicates that Washington wants to retain Norman for at least the first three years of the deal, Fitzgerald believes the key for Washington is to let this be the one risky contract the club signs in the next two years and not compound the risk by restructuring in 2017.
Jets head coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan have very different quarterback philosophies, as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com points out. Bowles believes he can win with a competent game manager as long as he has a strong defense, whereas Maccagnan thinks teams should draft a quarterback every year and create something of a pipeline. Those differing viewpoints may well lead to a real conflict for New York on Thursday, when the team could have the opportunity to draft Paxton Lynch–the last time it could draft a first-round quarterback talent for the next couple of seasons, as the 2017 and 2018 classes of signal-callers are considered very lean–or it could fill a major defensive need by selecting a cornerback or an edge rusher. For what it’s worth, Cimini believes the Jets will pass on Lynch and will ultimately re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick while continuing to groom Bryce Petty.
Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald has grown weary of the newly-popular cliche that running backs in today’s NFL are a dime a dozen. As Beasley points out, 14 qualifying running backs averaged at least 4.5 yards per carry in 2015, and all but three went in the first two days of the draft. Plus, four of Pro Football Focus’ 10 highest-graded backs last season were first-round picks; second- and third-rounders made up most of the rest. As such, Beasley suggests that the Dolphins, who currently have only one running back guaranteed to be on the team in 2016 (Jay Ajayi), will take a running back in the early rounds of this week’s draft. Of course, we heard recently that Miami could trade up from their No. 13 overall selection in an effort to land Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott, but even if the Dolphins don’t have the chance to take Elliott, there are a number of other talented collegiate backs that could be a fit in South Beach and that could be had on Day 2 of the draft. Devontae Booker and Kenyan Drake, both of whom visited the Dolphins in recent weeks, are two such players.

South Rumors: Panthers, Brees, Texans

April 23rd, 2016 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Norman admitted the Panthers‘ decision to rescind his franchise tag “sideswiped” him, as the fifth-year veteran was preparing to play in North Carolina again before Wednesday’s changing of his status eventually sent him up the Atlantic coast, David Newton of ESPN.com writes.

Dave Gettleman made his top offer — $44MM over four years — at the Combine but felt the $13.9MM franchise tag cost for Norman could have been spent better elsewhere, as his usual policy is not to spend big on defensive backs, Newton writes.

An extension for Kawann Short will be a likely domino to fall in Carolina as a result, Newton offers. The Panthers now have the fourth-most cap space in the league at $31.17MM, and the former second-round pick is entering a contract year.

Here’s the latest coming from the NFL’s southern contingent.

The Panthers will look to add a veteran cornerback in the coming weeks, but it probably won’t be an unrestricted free agent, Newton reports. With Norman’s Friday-night defection putting Carolina in position to grab a compensatory third-round pick in 2017, the signing of a UFA corner — and one who hovers far beneath Norman’s career arc — would negate that opportunity. The Panthers will likely target a player who’s been released, with Newton mentioning Antonio Cromartie, who was cut after a one-season reunion with the Jets, as an option here. As of now, Bene Benwikere and Brandon Boykin are the team’s top two corners going into the draft, where Carolina’s need for another talent immediately increased.
Drew Brees reportedly being willing to restructure his $30MM cap number to help the Saints sign Norman struck Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio as a PR move as the 15th-year quarterback prepares for questions about that figure, which is by the largest in the league in 2016 — $6MM clear of Eli Manning‘s $24MM cap charge. Florio believes Brees was the source for the ESPN.com report that emerged after Norman signed with Washington, and the writer categorizes it as a calculated salvo from Brees in an attempt to preempt backlash that could come from fans realizing his 2016 cap hold was the main reason New Orleans couldn’t afford Norman or a player of his ilk earlier in free agency. The perpetually cap-strapped Saints cut Jahri Evans and Marques Colston in March, making the two Bayou icons the latest such casualties. The Saints have the least amount of space in the league at $2.9MM.
One of the receivers the Texans brought in for a visit, Leonte Carroo acknowledged the team is looking for a receiver to pair with DeAndre Hopkins, whom the Rutgers prospect spoke to during his Houston tour, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. “That’s what I’m excited about, that they’re looking for a wide receiver,” Carroo told Wilson. “I fit their system very well. They could use a big, physical receiver like myself on the other side from Hopkins. I feel like I could help them tremendously.” Houston has essentially been seeking a quality No. 2 wideout during the franchise’s entire run, with Kevin Walter‘s late-2000s work representing the best the Texans have coaxed from this role. Carroo also visited the Saints, Patriots and Dolphins and worked out at the Jets’ and Giants’ local pro days.
The Titans have likely moved on from their interest in former Broncos All-Pro guard Louis Vasquez, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes. Cut by the Broncos early last month, Vasquez visited the Titans. But nothing emerged from the eighth-year veteran’s meeting and he remains a free agent. Chance Warmack and Jeremiah Poutasi reside as the Titans’ projected starting guards this season.

Washington Signs Josh Norman

April 23rd, 2016 at 1:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

1:38pm: Coming into Friday with less than $12MM in cap space, Washington looks to have backloaded the cornerback’s deal, with Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac.com tweeting Norman’s 2016 cap number will be $8MM. The team has set payouts of $17MM and $20MM to Norman in 2017 and ’18, respectively, but can reasonably get out of the deal after the 2017 season. Should Washington come to regret this contract, it can move on from Norman after 2017 with a $9MM dead money blow, Ginnitti reports.

SATURDAY, 8:45am: Albert Breer of the NFL Network describes the contract as essentially a two-year deal (via Twitter). The $36.5MM in guaranteed money will be paid over the first two seasons, and Norman will also receive a $500K per-game roster bonus in 2017.

After that, it will be up to Washington. Breer notes that the organization will have to make a decision by March 2018, as that’s when Norman’s injury guarantee (around $13.5MM) becomes fully guaranteed.

FRIDAY, 9:49pm: Norman received a $15MM signing bonus, and will earn $20MM total in 2016, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

8:36pm: Norman will receive $36.5MM in full guarantees, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds that Norman will receive $51MM over the first three years of his contract.

7:34pm: Washington has officially announced the signing.

6:39pm: Free agent corner Josh Norman has agreed to terms with Washington, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). Norman will sign a five-year, $75MM deal that includes $50MM in guarantees, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).

Norman had been visiting Washington’s facilities all day, and the club was reportedly trying to lock up Norman without letting him leave for other visits. Late interest from New Orleans clouded matters, as reports within the past hour had indicated that Norman was deciding between Washington and the Saints, but it appears that he’s decided to head to the national’s capital.

Ever since the Panthers shockingly rescinded Norman’s franchise tag earlier this week, the star cornerback had been drawing interest from all corners of the league. The Jaguars, Buccaneers, Bears, Titans, 49ers, Dolphins, Steelers, Jets, and Falcons were all linked to Norman, while Carolina GM Dave Gettleman yesterday declined to shut the door on a possible reunion. Washington and San Francisco (and given today’s reports, New Orleans) were thought to be Norman’s most serious suitors.

Norman had reportedly been targeting $14MM+ annually, and per Rapoport, Norman will have surpassed that total — a $15MM yearly salary would make Norman the highest-paid corner in the league. In terms of guaranteed money, Norman’s $50MM would also rank first among corners, and by a significant margin — Darrelle Revis would be second with $39MM in guaranteed money. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if that $30MM figure is fully guaranteed, or simply for injury only. Still, given that Norman would have earned only $13.952MM under the franchise tag with the Panthers, he comes out a clear winner.

Norman, 28, enjoyed a career-year in 2015 as he was named to the All Pro first team and selected for his first Pro Bowl. After producing career highs in both interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18), Norman is in great position as he demands a multi-year payday. Norman was well-regarded by advanced metrics as well, finishing as the league’s 12th-best corner by Pro Football Focus’ grades.

Washington will now field one of the better corner tandems in the NFL, with Norman teaming with Bashaud Breeland in the defensive backfield. Additionally, Norman will head to the NFC East, where he’ll face the Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. — with whom he notably sparred last season — twice per year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Lynch, Norman, Panthers, Dolphins

April 23rd, 2016 at 12:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…

Marshawn Lynch announced his retirement more than two months ago, and the Seahawks subsequently recognized the decision. However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes that the organization still hasn’t made the accompanying roster move. The writer wonders if Lynch is delaying the retirement to force his release from the organization, which would allow him to sign with any team at any time.
Washington‘s willingness to hand out a big contract to Josh Norman leads Florio to ponder whether the Panthers could have traded the All-Pro cornerback. Carolina will presumably receive a third-round pick as compensation for losing Norman, so Florio acknowledges that a team would have had to give up better assets.
If the Panthers were to bring in a veteran cornerback, ESPN.com’s David Newton says Antonio Cromartie would be the most logical fit (Twitter link).
Despite the Dolphins assertion to the contrary, ESPN.com’s James Walker wonders if the organization is actually worried about their cornerback depth. There are doubts about whether Byron Maxwell can be a true top corner, and the team also has question marks at the number-two and nickel spot.

Reactions To Josh Norman Signing

April 23rd, 2016 at 9:45am CST by Ben Levine

ESPN.com’s Matt Bowen writes that Josh Norman played with a “high-risk, high-reward mentality” while with the Panthers, a product of the team’s “zone-heavy defense.” Some fans may expect the cornerback to transition into more of a lock-down defender, but the writer notes that Washington will put Norman in a position to succeed.

Bowen predicts that defensive coordinator Joe Barry will use Norman in a variety of different formations, whether it be a deep three-man zone coverage or man-on-man opportunities. Ultimately, the writer believes it was a good signing for Washington, especially considering the presence of Odell Beckham and Dez Bryant in the division.

Let’s check out some more notes surrounding Washington’s signing of the All-Pro cornerback…

The Panthers reportedly offered Norman $44MM over four years, tweets Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.
The signing of Norman may remind some in Washington of the lucrative deal signed by Albert Haynesworth in 2009, writes ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio.
ESPN.com’s John Keim says the signing follows Washington’s recent trend of “unexpected” but “impactful” additions. The team added wideout DeSean Jackson in 2014, and they signed linebacker Junior Galette last offseason.
While the 49ers were reported to have interest in Norman, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes that the organization never made a hard push to sign the corner. The writer adds that Norman never scheduled an interview with the 49ers.

Fallout From Josh Norman/Washington Deal

April 22nd, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Earlier tonight, Washington signed cornerback Josh Norman to a five-year, $75MM deal that includes $31.5MM in full guarantees. The contract marked the culmination of a whirlwind few days which began when the Panthers rescinded Norman’s franchise tag, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. After receiving interest from 10+ clubs, Norman lands in the nation’s capital.

Let’s take a look at some of the fallout from and reaction to the Norman/Washington pact…

The Panthers offered Norman a four-year, $44MM deal, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Carolina made this offer to Norman before or after they pulled his franchise tag, but either way, the club clearly wasn’t interested in coming close to the $15MM yearly value that Norman was targeting.
The Saints reportedly made a late push to sign Norman, and Drew Brees wanted to help New Orleans’ secure the cornerback’s services. According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Brees was willing to modify his contract in order to find the funds to sign Norman. Brees only has one year left on his deal, so a restructure isn’t possile — he would have had to accept a paycut or sign an extension to free up cap space.
Chris Culliver‘s roster spot could now be in danger, as the Washington cornerback might now be expendable given that Norman is on board, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Culliver’s 2016 $8MM guarantee voided as a result of his 2015 suspension, and though reports indicated that Washington wouldn’t enforce that clause of his contract, there hasn’t been any official word as to the clubs’s stance, so it’s unclear where exactly Culliver stands. Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com doesn’t believe Washington will cut Culliver, instead allowing him to act as the team’s nickel corner.
The 49ers were thought to be a serious contender for Norman, but Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com thinks (via Twitter) that San Francisco left the bidding when it got a sense of how high the price tag was going to go.

Josh Norman Updates: Friday

April 22nd, 2016 at 5:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Thursday’s reports on cornerback Josh Norman suggested that Washington and the 49ers were the frontrunners for the former Panther, with both teams discussing five-year contracts. Norman is headed to D.C. first, which could give Scot McCloughan‘s club the upper hand in negotiations, but nothing has been finalized yet.

Here are the latest Friday updates on Norman’s situation, with new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:

5:47pm:

Norman is down to Washington and the Saints, who are making a legitimate push for him, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). The Saints have the second-lowest cap space in the league ($3.44MM), so they’d have to get creative to sign Norman, Schefter adds (on Twitter).

4:32pm:

Norman did file the necessary paperwork on his agent switch, but there are still some logistics to work through as the corner tries to avoid having to wait five days to sign somewhere, per Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links).
The 49ers are “in deep” for Norman, tweets CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (on Twitter) that they and Washington are in a two-team race for his services. However, Michael Silver of NFL.com doesn’t expect San Francisco to make a serious run at signing Norman (Twitter link).

3:16pm:

Norman has family with him at Washington‘s facility, including his mother, reports John Keim of ESPN (Twitter links). That would seem to bode well for the team in its attempt to reel in Norman.

1:32pm:

Norman is in Washington as the team’s facility now, and it would be a surprise if he left without a deal in place, according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that, in addition to Washington and the Niners, there are three more teams who are “strongly in [the] running” for Norman. Two of those clubs are the Jaguars and Buccaneers, per Cole’s source. Based on the Jags updates below, it doesn’t sound as if Jacksonville is a probable landing spot for the star cornerback.

12:44pm:

Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) would be surprised if Norman lands with any team besides Washington or the 49ers, and adds that the deal is expected to be worth upwards of $15MM per year, which would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. Norman will likely reach an agreement by Saturday, says Cole.
The Titans have been cited as a potential suitor for Norman, but after exploring the possibility, the team won’t be in the mix, says Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones also confirmed, unsurprisingly, that Norman’s price tag is too rich for his team (Twitter link via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com lays out a few reasons why the Panthers may have decided to move on from Norman.
Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell, who acknowledged his team has interest in Norman (as noted below), admitted that the two sides are far apart on the cornerback’s perceived value. Caldwell added the Jags haven’t made a formal contract offer, and talks didn’t progress to the point where a possible visit was discussed (all Twitter links via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union).

11:18am:

Norman is scheduled to arrive in Washington and begin his visit with the team this afternoon, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Per Anderson, Norman is inclined to keep his options open and explore other opportunities, while Washington will make a strong effort to sign him before the visit ends.
As Mike Jones and Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post explain, Norman informed his agent – Michael George – on Wednesday that he was firing him, but the paperwork for that move has yet to be filed with the NFLPA. If Norman were to officially fire George and move forward with agent Ryan Williams, he would have to wait five days before negotiating a new contract. As long as both agents are technically representing him, Norman can enter into contract talks immediately.
Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell confirmed today that his team has “continuing interest” in Norman, and is doing its homework on the standout cornerback (Twitter link via Tad Dickman of the Jaguars).
Lions wide receiver Golden Tate would “love” the chance to be teammates with Norman in Detroit, but GM Bob Quinn has been noncommittal about the idea of pursuing the corner, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

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