Josh Norman is now a free agent - Panthers removed franchise tag

[RobertWeathers]

Without Romo its the Giants or Skins taking that duvision.

Maybe. I think Romos best days are behind him and the Giants have problems all over the place. Eli is still very good but in terms of being smart with the football Id rather have Cousins.

 

[AGCSBill]

Respect. But this guy was undrafted out of a school that I doubt many of us heard of until he made the biggest play in (likely) in SB history, while being a very late decision to even carry on the roster. This same player went on to prove that play in the SB (which was the biggest of many big plays he made in that game, including the tackle after the ridiculous catch) wasn't a fluke by having a Pro Bowl season. Yeah, I don't think he's in a rush to give out discounts on his first opportunity for a huge contract. Players are not any more loyal to teams as teams are to them, unless you're Tom Brady and a select few others in history. Even Montana finished with KC.

Those players who at the tail end of their career, one like Montana, seem to think they still "have it" and choose to go anywhere to play just to prove it. IMHO, I do not think Tom Brady will do that. If BB were to say to Tom it is time to retire, I can see Brady going out like a champ and leave a legacy of great play and not pull a Montana or Favre.

 

[AGCSBill]

Norman for $75M with $50M guaranteed and a defensive player at that???!!!!!! Has anyone ever noticed when players such as Norman sign such huge contracts, they sign them with teams with some of the poorest track records, are rarely perennial winners and making foolish money decisions by signing such players? Washington just continued its legacy of doing that!

 

[Gronk]

Those players who at the tail end of their career, one like Montana, seem to think they still "have it" and choose to go anywhere to play just to prove it. IMHO, I do not think Tom Brady will do that. If BB were to say to Tom it is time to retire, I can see Brady going out like a champ and leave a legacy of great play and not pull a Montana or Favre.

That's a bit of revisionist history to imply that those two were idiots or somehow being egotistical to keep going - they could both could still play. Montana went to the AFFCG in '93 with KC and Favre was a legit MVP contender at age 40. Montana lost his job in SF due to injury. Late career Montana was a perfect fit for Marty Ball in KC, they just lacked the skill position talent to take full advantage.

IF Brady were in a position to be forced to make a decision like that he would likely be 43 years old and will have been with NE about 2x as long as Favre/Montana were with their main teams. And really, if he is correct that he can maintain himself physically as he enters his 40s there might be another season or two tacked on to his existing contract. He works his ass off and lets the team play funny money with his contract so that there's no reason for NE to move on - why move on if he's still the best and not a cap albatross? Montana was more brittle and missed a lot more time over his career than Brady has, but in the end Montana wasn't brought down in SF by declining skills or age - he got his elbow broken on a freak hit in the NFCCG after he led the team to 14 wins while chasing a 3-peat. Hardly a bum just out to prove he still had it.

The comparative question here isn't "would Tom play somewhere else for 2 years in 2020 and what would it mean for his legacy?", it would be "would Tom have played somewhere else if BB had told him it he thought it was time to retire after the 2014 KC game?" and the answer is OF COURSE he would have.

 

[Ivan]

You mean 2017

Butler will be an RFA after 2016 and UFA after 2017, so if in not mistaken they can tag him the next 2 seasons and he won't be on the market until after 2017 If they franchise him.

 

[Ivan]

Why would he have? People who thought he would were delusional. Revis as a totally different situation. Knee injury, bad scheme lowered his value.

And those who think Butler won't cash in are delusional also. He may not take 50 GTD but if he evolves he could take 40-42. That would mean he is worth it.

I will be very concerned about this, 3 years from now.

 

[BTTA]

I will be very concerned about this, 3 years from now.

Yeah, and that's a lifetime in NFL football. Both Butler and Ryan have to get through this season without significant injury or performance issues. Just that is a 50/50 proposition. And the development of the youngsters already on the roster, plus 2016 draft picks, will factor in. There are many moving parts to this, in addition to the RFA and UFA and tagging that you point out.

 

[Off The Grid]

I admire the Panthers for the Boldness of this Move, but I have to wonder if they did their Due Diligence.

If I'm running the Panthers, I put The Tag on'm as they did, yes...But then I put the word out to every other Team that I'm Open For Business, and will happily trade'm to The Highest Bidder.

If I can get a 3rd Rounder for'm...a 2016 3rd Rounder beats a 2017 3rd Rounder.

If I can get more ~ maybe much more for arguably the best Corner in the Game, maybe a 2016 1st Rounder?? Maybe more??? ~ then I'll take that, please and thank you!!

I actually mocked Joshua Norman to us back in 2012, thank you!!

But The Infernal Salary Cap is a Bastard...And if I could get out from under Joshua Norma's prospective Contract ~ while allowing me to sign guys who play closer to The Line ~ while maybe racking up a 1st Rounder, a 3rd Rounder, and some Change...I'd pounce on that Opportunity!!

You must be thrilled that the Pats got McClellin - I notice that he was your first rounder!

Yes, I am!!

Very thoughtful of you to notice, Bro!!

I've been far too busy, I'm afraid, to get into some'f the Debates that've gone on around here, but while I presume nothing of McLellin's Future, I am giddy with Delight that we've got'm!!

 

[Off The Grid]

I'm inclined to assume that the Panthers did their Due Diligence before cutting'm loose ~ by which I mean: put the Word out before Cutting Bait, as I would've, that Norman was In Play, and that they were perfectly willing to accept whatever Market Value was for a Tag & Trade type Deal.

But I kind of doubt that.

I get the strong impression that the Panthers didn't plan ahead on this one.

Had I been in their Position, I would've put the Word out way back before Free Agency officially started that Norman was In Play, that I would not try to insist on the official Compensation for a Franchise Player, and that I would be perfectly happy to accept whatever The Market offered for his Services.

In EarthSpeak: Whoever was willing to pay the highest Compensation for the right to sign Norman, given of course that they came to an Agreement with Norman, himself, would be who I'd deal with.

Big Fan of Norman ~ I mocked'm to us back in 2012, after all ~ but paying 15 Mints for a CornerBack in the Salary Cap Era is far less attractive than liberating the 15 while gobbling up juicy Draft Capital!!

Back in early March, far more Teams had oodles of Cap Space to work with than did this week.

Quite possibly, the Panthers could've Tagged & Traded'm for a 1st Rounder.

Maybe more.

 

[zydecochris]

I completely ignored the report of $50M "guaranteed" (those initial reports leaked by the agent are always nonsense), but according to the link below the contract actually is worth a fully guarenteed $36.5M at signing, that is way more than I expected. It is really a pretty good contract for Josh Norman, good for him.

Josh Norman gets $36.5 million fully guaranteed at signing

 

[crownontherocks]

NFL Network's Albert Breer reports Josh Norman's deal with the Redskins is really for two years, $36.5 million.

 

[jimnance]

I'm inclined to assume that the Panthers did their Due Diligence before cutting'm loose ~ by which I mean: put the Word out before Cutting Bait, as I would've, that Norman was In Play, and that they were perfectly willing to accept whatever Market Value was for a Tag & Trade type Deal.

But I kind of doubt that.

I get the strong impression that the Panthers didn't plan ahead on this one.

Had I been in their Position, I would've put the Word out way back before Free Agency officially started that Norman was In Play, that I would not try to insist on the official Compensation for a Franchise Player, and that I would be perfectly happy to accept whatever The Market offered for his Services.

In EarthSpeak: Whoever was willing to pay the highest Compensation for the right to sign Norman, given of course that they came to an Agreement with Norman, himself, would be who I'd deal with.

Big Fan of Norman ~ I mocked'm to us back in 2012, after all ~ but paying 15 Mints for a CornerBack in the Salary Cap Era is far less attractive than liberating the 15 while gobbling up juicy Draft Capital!!

Back in early March, far more Teams had oodles of Cap Space to work with than did this week.

Quite possibly, the Panthers could've Tagged & Traded'm for a 1st Rounder.

Maybe more.

Obviously hindsights 20/20. But "what if" the Panthers originally wanted to keep him and thought they could work it out? Putting the word out to other teams like you suggest would surely have ruined any chance of them keeping him. BB is the GOAT-but hes not the ONLY sharp gm in the nfl. Gettleman is no slouch, hell hes a Mattapan native so how COULD he be?

 

[Family]

NFL Network's Albert Breer reports Josh Norman's deal with the Redskins is really for two years, $36.5 million.

Yes it's not really worse than if he were tagged by Carolina. Still too much, but not as bad as reported.

 

[JMC00]

And those who think Butler won't cash in are delusional also. He may not take 50 GTD but if he evolves he could take 40-42. That would mean he is worth it.

No one is saying Butler won't cash in. But cashing in doesn't necessarily mean chasing every dollar he can.


If the Pats were to offer him 4years/$30m at some point this year (I believe this is what @Miguel proposed a few weeks ago) I think there is a decent chance he would sign. For an UDFA afte 1 good season that's cashing in while not chasing every dollar.

 

[Off The Grid]

Obviously hindsights 20/20. But "what if" the Panthers originally wanted to keep him and thought they could work it out? Putting the word out to other teams like you suggest would surely have ruined any chance of them keeping him.

Like I said:

"Big Fan of Norman ~ I mocked'm to us back in 2012, after all ~ but paying 15 Mints for a CornerBack in the Salary Cap Era is far less attractive than liberating the 15 while gobbling up juicy Draft Capital!!"

 

[PatsBoy12]

Those players who at the tail end of their career, one like Montana, seem to think they still "have it" and choose to go anywhere to play just to prove it. IMHO, I do not think Tom Brady will do that. If BB were to say to Tom it is time to retire, I can see Brady going out like a champ and leave a legacy of great play and not pull a Montana or Favre.

That's fair, but I don't think it detracts from my main point (don't know if that's what you were even going for). But I do hear you. Putting it back in context, Butler is not going to stick around here just because he won with us. That's wishful thinking. It was the same logic some had about Revis (I already know what some will say about that). Business is business. We've watched Bill let people go who he won with time and again. Butler is going to cash in, and rightfully so if he continues to play this way or better, whether it's in NE or not.

 

[Danger Zone]

Out of curiosity, did Butler prove himself last year to be the kind of #1 CB that demands the best kind of money to keep?

As much as I love Butler, intellectually I think of him as a #2 kind of talent (but still improving).

I would definitely love to be wrong about this.

 

[zydecochris]

Out of curiosity, did Butler prove himself last year to be the kind of #1 CB that demands the best kind of money to keep?

As much as I love Butler, intellectually I think of him as a #2 kind of talent (but still improving).

I would definitely love to be wrong about this.

He was a Pro Bowl cornerback, and not as a replacement. Plus, it isn't like he is one of those guys who gets voted in past their prime due to past achievements. It would seem to me that at the very least he is a #1 CB.

 

[signbabybrady]

Out of curiosity, did Butler prove himself last year to be the kind of #1 CB that demands the best kind of money to keep?

As much as I love Butler, intellectually I think of him as a #2 kind of talent (but still improving).

I would definitely love to be wrong about this.

What were you watching?

He shut down several really good #1 WRs last year. Played as our CB1 all year. He proved he is a number 1 corner in this league. Another season like that and he'll certainly put himself inline for this kind of funny money.

Thankfully he will still be restricted so we should have a decent chance of reaching a mutually beneficial extension assuming he doesn't want to play out two seasons to become a UDFA.

 

[captain insano]

There was Braschi and there is Brady, and there is ????

braschi?? lol who is that?