Josh Norman was not a free agent for long, as the former Carolina Panthers cornerback has agreed to terms with the Washington Redskins, per Rand Getlin of NFL Network.
Ian Rapoport provided these details on the contract:
Josh Norman's 5-year, $75M deal with the #Redskins includes $50M in guarantees, source said. Wow.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 22, 2016
This will be a good opportunity for Norman to show that he’s truly an elite defensive back, as opposed to a pretty good player who was in a great system.
While the Panthers had one of the best pass defenses in the NFL in 2015, the Redskins were mediocre to bad in pretty much every category imaginable. Washington finished the season 13th in completion percentage against, 25th in yards allowed, 26th in yards allowed per reception, 22nd in touchdown passes allowed, tied for 21st in interceptions, and 22nd in opponent’s passer rating.
The Redskins and their fans have reason for optimism now. Norman finished fourth in 2015’s Defensive Player of the Year voting, trailing only J.J. Watt, Aaron Donald and Luke Kuechly.
Statistically speaking, Norman has also been one of the hardest corners to throw at for two seasons now.
Passer rating when targeting Josh Norman over the past two seasons: '15: 58.1 '14: 53.9
— PFF (@PFF) February 15, 2016
Lastly, if you like personal rivalries, then this signing is very good news.
Being that Norman is now in the NFC East, he’ll get two games a year against the New York Giants and Odell Beckham Jr. When the two faced off last year, things were less than friendly.