Washington Redskins Go All In On Josh Norman

The Washington Redskins have just made 28-year-old Josh Norman the highest paid cornerback in the NFL. The ink is still drying on a five-year deal worth $75 million, with $50 million in guaranteed money. Since the Panthers chose not to franchise-tag Norman, 2015’s top cornerback was officially a free agent as of Wednesday. The Redskins decided to put all their chips in the pot by signing Norman on Friday. In that span of 48 hours, Saints head coach Sean Payton personally called Norman and tried to get the elite cornerback to make New Orleans his new home. Other reports suggest the 49ers also pursued the All-Pro corner. In the end, Dan Snyder’s Redskins made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

"I felt that homecoming…I'm going to give back that much for it tenfold."

Norman is home: https://t.co/fzE4YvmEvP pic.twitter.com/gWNpUBKDt4

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 23, 2016

Some fans of the Redskins would argue that Norman’s play last year was simply priceless. Others might think the team overpaid. For now, we focus on the positives.

Norman is coming off a blistering 2015 campaign that saw him neutralize the game’s top receiving threats on a weekly basis. The most notorious battle was between Norman and Odell Beckham Jr. The league’s hottest receiver at the time completely lost his cool and attacked Norman in-game with a flying head to head collision that resulted in a one game suspension for Beckham Jr. — point Norman. The media will surely have a field day when the two square off this season, not to mention the fact that they will do so twice, as Norman is now a Redskin and joins ODB in the NFC East.

Perhaps ODB got the worst of it, but the Giants number one receiver wasn’t the only superstar to be victimized by Norman’s talents. In 2015, DeAndre Hopkins had two catches against Norman for 24 yards. Julio Jones registered a pedestrian four catches for 33 yards. ODB gave Norman everything he had and finished with four catches for 30 yards. Mike Evans, one catch, 15 yards. Dez Bryant, one catch, six yards. The offensive assassins kill list continues, and it’s lengthy.

As Kirk Cousins infamously shouted last year, you like that!? Well, Redskins gave Norman 75 million reasons to prove how much they liked that.

Number 24 is immediately and undoubtedly the most talented defender on the entire Washington Redskins team. If it weren’t for their offence, the 9-7 Redskins would have never made the playoffs. Their defence finished the season ranked twenty-eighth, allowing an average of 380 yards per game. If defense wins championships, that defense doesn’t have a prayer. Against the pass they were just as bad league-wide, ranking twenty-fifth and allowing a per game average of 258 yards through the air. Norman had four picks last year, two returned for touchdowns. The entire Redskins team had 11.

Yet, even with those lowly numbers as elements involved in forecasting the Redskins upcoming NFL season, the addition of Norman should allow Washington to be the favorite to win their division. Their NFC East neighbors, the Dallas Cowboys, Giants, and Eagles have huge questions hovering over their teams, such as, will Romo’s be able to carry the load in Dallas? Unlikely.

Besides the Manning-ODB connection, do the Giants have anything else to offer in 2016? Probably not.

As for the Eagles, they have a new coach, Cardinals OC Doug Pederson. A banged up RB1 in Ryan Matthews. No bona fide outside receiving threat and Sam Bradford — a quarterback who last season actually seemed like he was on fire — literally not figuratively — as his offensive line looked like the swiss cheese that goes on the city’s infamous hoagie. The Redskins should win both games in Philly, and Norman could have a field day versus the Iggles.

As for the entire NFC, with the addition of Norman to their roster, the Redskins are potentially only behind Norman’s former team the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay (especially with Eddie Lacy back in top shape), Bruce Arians Cardinals and perhaps the Seattle Seahawks. It’s tough to put NFC teams like the Giants, Falcons, Vikings, Bears, or Buccaneers clearly ahead of the Redskins. If these projections hold up, the addition of Josh Norman should make the Redskins playoff bound in back-to-back seasons and a serious contender going forward. If not, the negative narratives that are no stranger to the Redskins will reign down like 75 million raindrops over FedExField, making that infamous terrain even more unsteady.

[Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images]