On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers rescinded their franchise tag on All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman, effectively making him an unrestricted free agent. With the market for quality cornerbacks at a high, many teams were angling for the services of Norman as soon as the news hit the wire. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Norman had narrowed his choices down to the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins but made the decision to go with the Skins right after his visit with the team.
For what its worth, the Saints had asked quarterback Drew Brees to restructure his contract in an attempt to acquire Norman but that is obviously no longer necessary. Josh Norman has agreed to terms with the Redskins on a five year contract that could be worth up to $75 million, with $50 million of it guaranteed. This would make him the highest paid cornerback in the league. The franchise still has to find a way to free up cap room in order to complete the deal, as they only have $11.4 million available. It looks like the rivalry between Norman and New York Giants wide out Odell Beckham Jr. just went up another notch.
