Josh Norman - Pro Football Rumors

FA Rumors: Norman, Dolphins, Eagles, Chiefs

March 31st, 2016 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As players like Olivier Vernon and Malik Jackson signed huge, long-term contracts earlier this month, players like Broncos pass rusher Von Miller and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman were forced to watch, unable to land lucrative new mega-deals of their own. As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) details, Miller and Norman have been frustrated by the franchise tag system, which prevents star players from cashing in like some lesser free agents have.

In Norman’s case, fellow cornerback Janoris Jenkins got a five-year, $62.5MM as an unrestricted free agent, but according to David Newton of ESPN.com, the Panthers haven’t gone to that $12.5MM-per-year range in their extension talks with Norman. If the Carolina corner had been able to reach the open market himself, he likely would’ve surpassed easily, so it’s not a surprise that Miller and Norman would like to see the franchise tag system go away, according to Cole.

Here’s more on free agency:

The Dolphins signed Isaiah Pead today, but they continue to seek running back help, and worked out former Buccaneers back Bobby Rainey, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rainey ran for nearly 1,000 total yards in 2013 and 2014, but had just five carries last season.
After paying a visit to Pittsburgh, free agent offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski met with the Eagles today, a source tells Rapoport (Twitter link). Wisniewski is arguably the top center still on the board, though he’d be unlikely to start in the middle if he were to sign with Philadelphia.
The Chiefs hosted free agent safety Jeron Johnson for a visit on Wednesday, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). After serving as a backup DB and a special-teamer for several years in Seattle, Johnson signed with Washington last year and appeared poised to get the opportunity to player more. However, things didn’t work out in D.C., and Johnson was cut earlier this month.
In addition to having hosted Johnson, the Chiefs are bringing in another defender, linebacker Andy Mulumba, for a visit, per Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Twitter link). Mulumba, who has played 22 games for the Packers during the last three seasons, also visited the Patriots, according to Hodkiewicz.
Free agent defensive lineman Jack Crawford is paying a visit to the Jets, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Crawford, who visited Pittsburgh this week, picked up four sacks as a part-timer in Dallas in 2015
Todd Archer of ESPN.com explains how recently-signed free agent defensive end Benson Mayowa can opt out of his deal with the Cowboys after two seasons and hit the open market again in 2018.

Josh Norman Aiming For $16MM Per Year

March 27th, 2016 at 3:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Since the Panthers officially placed the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman on March 1, any signs of progression towards a long-term deal have been essentially non-existent. A report last week indicated that Norman and Carolina remained far apart in contract talks, and one reason could be Norman’s asking price, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that Norman is seeking a salary “in the neighborhood of $16MM a year.”

A $16MM annual salary would make Norman the highest-paid corner in the league by a wide margin — Darrelle Revis currently tops the list at just over $14MM per season. But as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (Twitter link), Norman’s ask isn’t all that surprising, as Revis’ frontloaded deal calls for him to earn $48MM over his first three seasons with the Jets.

Still, the $16MM figure is probably just a starting point in negotiations, and it’s unlikely that Norman will reach that target for several reasons. Norman doesn’t have the track record needed to redefine the market at a position, and he’ll be 29 years old in December, so his age is working against him. The franchise tag for corners is worth $13.95MM, so the Panthers have no reason to entertain a significantly higher figure. I examined Norman’s case for an extension back in November, pegging him for a $14MM annual salary.

General manager Dave Gettleman has downplayed the notion that Norman would cause any distraction in an effort to land a long-term contract, and Norman himself has previously said that while he won’t accept a hometown discount, he doesn’t anticipate missing any portion of training camp. But speaking to the NFL Network, Norman did seem to indicate that he could skip offseason workouts and/or OTAs. “I can’t report if I haven’t signed anything so I don’t feel as if I’m at the point where I’m ready to get back to working right now,” said Norman.

Norman isn’t the only franchise-tagged player who is gunning for a significant contract, as a report on Friday indicated the Bronco linebacker Von Miller is targeting $22MM per year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Norman, Megatron, Seahawks

March 22nd, 2016 at 9:36pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday that Josh Norman and the Panthers are far apart in discussions on a new, multi-year contract, and if those negotiations do not start to gain traction, Norman could miss voluntary workouts and OTAs and possibly the mandatory June minicamp. But as David Newton of ESPN.com writes, Carolina GM Dave Gettleman downplayed that speculation, saying that he does not expect the Norman situation to create much of a distraction.

Said Gettleman, “Josh is a pro and I don’t think there’ll be any issues. He and I had a great conversation before I put the tag on him. He understands where I’m at. I understand where he’s at. We respect each other’s stance and we’ll just see if we can get [it] done.” Gettleman added that he and head coach Ron Rivera are “very comfortable” regardless of whether Norman signs a long-term deal with the Panthers prior to the July 15 deadline or whether he plays out the 2016 season under the franchise tag.

Now let’s take a look at some more links from around the NFC:

There was some speculation earlier this month that Calvin Johnson wanted to retire as a free agent rather than under Lions control so that, in case he ever came out of retirement, he would be free to choose his next destination. Of course, Megatron ultimately retired as a member of the Lions, but according to Detroit president Rod Wood, it’s a moot point anyway, as he would be “very surprised” if Johnson ever expressed a desire to return to the NFL (video link via Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press).
Seahawks GM John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll each signed three-year contract extensions in 2014 that take them through the 2016 season, which means they are both entering the final years of their respective deals. As Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com writes, however, Schneider says his contract is a “non-story.” Schneider said, “Pete and I have a great relationship, and we are just in a really good spot. We are just going to keep staying together and keep doing what we are doing and see how long we can make it last.” Kapadia believes the most likely scenario is that both men will sign extensions in the coming months, and we know that the club has already been working on a new deal for Carroll.
The Seahawks‘ offensive line was the subject of a great deal of criticism in 2015, and it does not look like it will be much better in 2016. Per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Schneider has indicated that if the season started today, last year’s right tackle, Garry Gilliam, would compete with the newly-acquired Bradley Sowell to be the club’s starting left tackle, with another free agent acquisition, J’Marcus Webb, penciled in at right tackle. In addition to losing Russell Okung in free agency, the Seahawks also lost right guard J.R. Sweezy, but Schneider offered no indication that the team would pursue any additional signings or trades to beef up its line.
Ralpha Vacchiano of The New York Daily News does not believe the Giants are done spending in free agency, and at the very least, he expects the team to pursue a veteran offensive lineman and a veteran safety. He does not, however, believe Big Blue will bring back Rueben Randle or Will Beatty.
The 49ers have not made a contract offer to free agent wideout Anquan Boldin, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, and while GM Trent Baalke said he has by no means closed the door on a possible reunion, he did not sound especially optimistic that Boldin would return to San Francisco next season. As Baalke said, “A lot of it is going to depend whether he feels and we feel it’s a fit moving forward with what we’re trying to do offensively and what he’s looking for at this stage of his career.” Boldin has already stated his desire to play for a title contender in 2016, and it is currently difficult to imagine the 49ers fitting that description.

Josh Norman, Panthers Remain Far Apart On Deal

March 21st, 2016 at 5:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers applied the franchise tag to Josh Norman weeks ago, but the standout cornerback is in no rush to ink the one-year, $13.952MM tender. The two sides have until July 15th to hammer out a long-term deal, but there is still a significant chasm between them, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. If things do not improve, he could miss the voluntary workouts and OTAs and possibly the mandatory June minicamp, Person writes.

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.

Norman is now seeking a deal that will make him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, Person writes, and that could mean demands of an average annual value in the $14-16MM range. Currently, Darrelle Revis stands as the NFL’s highest paid cornerback after signing a $70.12MM contract that includes a whopping $39MM guaranteed. That deal edged out Patrick Peterson of the Cardinals who got a $70.05MM deal with $16.25MM guaranteed and Seahawks corner Richard Sherman, who inked a $56MM deal ($12.43MM guaranteed) to stay in Seattle. After that, Trumaine Johnson and Norman are slated to be tied as the fourth-highest paid corners in the NFL in 2016. Johnson accepted his franchise tender earlier this month, but Norman appears intent on forcing the Panthers into giving him a long-term deal instead.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Notes: Lovie, Bucs, Mankins, Norman

March 5th, 2016 at 7:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith is expected to become the new head coach at the University of Illinois, according to Ryan Baker of CBS Chicago (Twitter link). Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports has also confirmed the likely hire. Smith’s move back to the state of Illinois — where he coached the Bears for nine seasons — has repercussions in Tampa Bay, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link) that Smith’s contract with the Bucs contained offset language pertaining to any football job, not just those in the NFL. Therefore, Tampa is likely to going to recoup some of the $10MM it owes to Smith under the terms of his old deal.

Let’s take a look at more out from Tampa Bay and the NFL’s other South division clubs…

Free agent offensive lineman Nate Chandler was released by the Panthers earlier this week, but he’s now getting attention from another NFC South team, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Buccaneers are interested in Chandler. As Auman writes, Tampa’s interest in Chandler — who can play both tackle and guard — could be a sign that the club expects veteran Logan Mankins to retire. Mankins hasn’t yet made a final decision, per Auman, but he will let the Bucs know his choice before free agency starts.
Panthers cornerback Josh Norman isn’t going to accept a long-term deal that he considers to be below his market value, and he’s fine with playing out the season on the franchise tag, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Norman won’t accept a hometown discount, as he tells Jones, but he dispensed with any notion that he would hold out of training camp in an attempt to spur Carolina into offering more money.
Safety Earl Wolff, who signed a futures contract with the Jaguars in January, was abducted by a group of armed men in Fayetteville, North Carolina on February 23, according to Thomas Pope of the Fayetteville Observer. Wolff was released unharmed, and one of alleged kidnappers was arrested on Wednesday.

Franchise Rumors: Miller, Cousins, Norman

March 2nd, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined shortly after Tuesday’s deadline, 10 NFL teams used their franchise or transition tags this year to secure at least the right of first refusal for potential free agents. While there’s no pressure on those players to sign those franchise or transition tenders anytime soon, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier today that at least one or two players, including Bills tackle Cordy Glenn, could sign those tenders sooner rather than later.

Signing a franchise tender ensures that a player is guaranteed his 2016 salary, and prevents the team from rescinding the offer down the road. It also precludes the player from exploring the market to see if there are any teams willing to sign him to an offer sheet, but there would be nothing stopping the player from continuing to work on an extension with his own team, prior to the July 15th deadline.

As we wait to see if any franchised players sign their tenders today, let’s round up a few items of interest relating to this year’s group of tag recipients…

Von Miller, the only player to receive an exclusive franchise tag before Tuesday’s deadline, is willing to take a “discount” on a long-term contract with the Broncos, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). As Breer points out though, it’s not clear whether Miller’s discount would apply to Ndamukong Suh‘s $19MM annual rate, or to Miller’s actual market value, which could exceed $20MM per year, according to rival executives. If the star pass rusher is only willing to accept less than his market value, that would still likely mean an average salary in the $18-19MM range.
Washington‘s long-term contract offers to quarterback Kirk Cousins have exceeded $16MM per year, according to Breer (Twitter links). However, Cousins’ camp is aiming for an annual average closer to the franchise-tag salary ($19.953MM). Still, Washington’s starting quarterback plans on signing his tender and reporting to offseason activities while the two sides continue to work on a multiyear extension.
Before the 2015 season began, the Panthers offered Josh Norman a five-year contract worth about $7.5MM annually, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Needless to say, Norman’s price has gone up significantly since then, with Person suggesting the veteran cornerback is seeking a deal that exceeds $14MM per year. Norman’s franchise-tag salary is $13.952MM.

Panthers Use Franchise Tag On Josh Norman

March 1st, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

11:40am: The Panthers have officially tagged Norman, per Rapoport (via Twitter).

10:17am: With no long-term contract agreement imminent, the Panthers will place the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport notes that the two sides will continue to talk, in the hopes of getting a multiyear deal done before the July 15th deadline for franchised players.

When the Panthers officially tag Norman, it will come as no surprise. A report from nearly a month ago – well before the window for designating franchise or transition players opened – indicated that the standout cornerback would be franchised if he didn’t have a long-term contract in place by March 1st.

The 28-year-old Norman certainly put himself in a great position for a mega-deal in his contract year, as 2015 was easily the best season of his four-year career. He was named to the All Pro first team and selected for his first Pro Bowl, and also posted solid raw statistics, producing career highs in both interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18). Norman was well-regarded by advanced metrics as well, finishing as the league’s 12th-best corner by Pro Football Focus’ grades.

Assuming Norman receives the non-exclusive franchise tag from the Panthers, he would be in line for a one-year tender worth $13.952MM. He could sign that one-year offer, guaranteeing his salary for the 2016 season, or he and his agent to explore the market to see if any teams would be willing to give him an offer sheet.

Since signing a non-exclusive free agent costs the player’s new team two first-round picks, it’s more likely that Norman will simply remain in Carolina, either on a one-year contract or a new long-term extension. As noted above, the two sides would have until July 15th to reach a multiyear agreement, whether or not Norman has signed his franchise tender by then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman

February 29th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.

“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.

As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….

Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.

Free Agent Rumors: Okung, Rams, V. Miller

February 26th, 2016 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Offensive tackle Russell Okung, who will be representing himself in free agency, confirmed to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com that he has had some conversations with the Seahawks about a new deal. According to Okung, the two sides have been “going back and forth” and still may “figure something out” before the veteran tackle hits the open market.

“It’s very possible that I could stay here,” Okung said. “But I know my value, and I’m not going to settle for anything less than that. If it works out, great. And if it doesn’t, that’s great as well.”

Let’s check out a few more Friday updates on pending free agents around the NFL….

The Rams have made a five-year contract offer to cornerback Janoris Jenkins, but haven’t yet formally proposed a multiyear deal to their other free agent corner, Trumaine Johnson, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the team prefers Jenkins, or won’t re-sign Johnson. Cole believes that one of the two free agent corners will get a franchise or transition tag from Los Angeles, which would allow the club to focus on negotiations with the other player.
While the secondary remains their top priority, the Rams would also like to re-sign veteran center Tim Barnes, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. “The plan at center is, hey, I’ll give Tim Barnes credit, he’s one of those guys we’d like to get back,” GM Les Snead said. “At the end of the day, we didn’t think he was a weak link so we definitely want to get him back.”
According to Cole (video link), the Broncos and Von Miller‘s reps are meeting at the combine, but the expectation from Miller’s side is that the team will use its franchise tag on the star pass rusher rather than getting a long-term deal done within the next few days.
The Panthers met in Indianapolis with Josh Norman‘s agent, but didn’t make a whole lot of progress, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Still, talks are expected to continue, and Norman is a franchise tag candidate if the two sides can’t reach an agreement by March 1st.
The Falcons met with the representatives for restricted free agent linebacker Paul Worrilow about the possibility of a contract – or at least an RFA tender – but no decisions were made, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Panthers Rumors: Norman, Gettleman, Johnson

February 24th, 2016 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the defending NFC Champions:

The Panthers will meet with Josh Norman‘s rep this week at the Combine, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. It has been long speculated that the Panthers will use the franchise tag to keep Norman for the 2016 season. The 28-year-old Norman put himself in a great position heading into unrestricted free agency, as 2015 was easily the best season of his four-year career. He was named first team All Pro and selected for his first Pro Bowl, and posted solid raw statistics, producing career highs in both interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18).
“Obviously we are going to try to get a deal done with [Josh] Norman. If not, the tag is an option,” Gettleman said (Twitter link via Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer).
Based off the comments of GM Dave Gettleman on Wednesday, Person (on Twitter) gets the sense that Norman will be tagged. He also gets the feeling that defensive end Charles Johnson will either be cut or asked to take a big pay cut. Right tackle Mike Remmers, who is slated to be a free agent, also sounds likely to be retained.
Gettleman says they are still evaluating Johnson (link). The GM added that it was tough to evaluate him last year because of the injuries.