In an extremely sudden and rather shocking move, the Carolina Panthers rescinded Josh Norman’s franchise tag on Wednesday, immediately making the All-Pro cornerback an unrestricted free agent. With the draft just a week away, it’s a weird time for an NFL star to hit the open market.
Taking that and events from the last six weeks into consideration, here’s a look at 10 teams that could chase Norman right away, ranked from most to least likely to land him.
Niners, with a ton of cap space, among teams that called about Josh Norman, per source. Others incl. Bucs, Steelers, Dolphins.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) April 21, 2016
1. San Francisco 49ers
Why they might: Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson reports they’re the “early front-runner,” and ESPN’s Adam Schefter floated San Francisco out there early on. In fact, basically everybody has been listing the 49ers as the prime potential landing spot. It just makes sense — San Francisco didn’t do much in free agency and has more cap space than anyone except Jacksonville. Plus, the 49ers pass defense ranked 27th in football last season.
Why they might not: If they weren’t willing to pay Smith $10 million or Casey Hayward $6 million, they might not be willing to give $12-16 million a year to Norman. And in a bidding war, he’ll likely push that ceiling.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
Why they might: The Jags have invested deeply in the defensive line of late, and they’re already in good shape on offense. If they want to keep building in a balanced way, the next step might be to add a stud cornerback like Norman. And with a league-high $53 million in salary cap space, they’ve got the money to do it, which is why it was no surprise to see Robinson report that there’s interest.
Why they might not: They’ve already signed veteran defensive backs Tashaun Gipson and Prince Amukamara. They could have paid big bucks to high-quality free-agent corners Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson or Sean Smith, but instead decided to sign Amukamara to a cheap one-year deal.
8-9 teams have contacted Josh Norman's representatives since Panthers rescinded the tag, per league source.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) April 21, 2016
3. Los Angeles Rams
Why they might: It would be tempting to sell Jared Goff and Josh Norman as a packaged duo to your new fanbase in Los Angeles. Plus, he’d be an upgrade over the departed Janoris Jenkins. So it’s no surprise that Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reported the Rams were among the interested teams.
Why they might not: They have less than $13 million in salary cap space and are on the hook for Trumaine Johnson’s $14 million franchise tag.
4. Miami Dolphins
Why they might: Football Outsiders graded them 29th against the pass last season, they lost veteran Brent Grimes and they LOVE splurging on big-name free agents.
Why they might not: They acquired high-priced corner Byron Maxwell from the Eagles and they’re not exactly swimming in cash.
5. Chicago Bears
Why they might: They’ve got $22 million in salary cap space and could use a corner to start opposite Kyle Fuller. That could become a heck of a tandem.
Why they might not: They had money to spend, but ignored outside free agents at that position when the market opened, instead re-signing veteran Tracy Porter.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Why they might: Opposing quarterbacks posted a passer rating of 102.3 against them last season. They’ve addressed the front seven a bit, but that D could really use some help in the secondary.
Why they might not: They’ve got less than $15 million to spend and they signed Brent Grimes last month.
Josh Norman, CB | Unrestricted Free Agent 👀https://t.co/hQTNuuEcsm
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 20, 2016
7. Oakland Raiders
Why they might: The pass defense ranked 26th last season, and Norman would appear to be a great fit on and off the field.
Why they might not: They already have Smith, David Amerson and D.J. Hayden. They might be done making splashes, especially now that they have less than $10 million in cap space.
8. Detroit Lions
Why they might: Opposing quarterbacks had a 100.9 passer rating against the Lions last year, but nobody held quarterbacks to a lower rating than Norman. He could team up with Darius Slay and would be a hell of a fit.
Why they might not: Might be a bit of a luxury when you’ve got the much younger Slay, who should have been a Pro Bowler in 2015. They’re also trying to extend Slay before his walk year.
9. Dallas Cowboys
Why they might: You never know with Jerry Jones, and Dallas is hurting at cornerback.
Why they might not: They might have learned their lesson with Brandon Carr, have just $8 million in salary cap space and might be able to land Jalen Ramsey with the No. 4 overall pick.
10. Tennessee Titans
Why they might: Jalen Ramsey is now off the table and they could could use a top corner. They also have nearly $30 million in cap space.
Why they might not: It doesn’t fit their MO. They’re trying to build through the draft in smart, conservative fashion. Spending huge money on a 28-year-old corner with one Pro Bowl under his belt just doesn’t make a lot of sense with that in mind.
