Earlier this week, the Carolina Panthers decided to withdraw the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman, making him a free agent. This means that for the other NFL teams, it's open-season on who can make the most tempting offer to the athlete.
According to Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman, the move to rescind Norman's franchise tag was made purely due to financial reasons. Specifically, the decision gave the team more flexibility regarding its cap space.
"The more we thought about it, the more flexibility that $14 million would give us...we just kept talking and talking," he said according to ESPN. "I have a great belief that in order to get the right answer, you have to ask the right questions."
And now that Norman is a free agent, this means he can start taking offers from other teams. One of the franchises that has a strong chance of getting Norman to sign a contract is the San Francisco 49ers. After all, the team has over $53 million in cap space, which means it has the budget to support a quality cornerback. Furthermore, if San Francisco manages to get Norman, then the team will be able to have a solid cornerback bench along with Kenneth Acker, Tramaine Brock, and Marcus Cromartie.
Another team that could be interested in signing Norman is the Miami Dolphins. Although the team is not as wealthy as the 49ers in terms of cap space, which is only about $19.5 million for 2016, in is currently in need of a No. 1 cornerback.
For now, this position belongs to Byron Maxwell. But, with Norman onboard, the team could move Maxwell to No. 2 where he can be more comfortable.
However, before the 49ers and Dolphins will get the chance to talk to Norman, the Washington Redskins will get the first opportunity to make a possible offer. According to CBS Sports, the athlete is scheduled to visit Washington this week for a possible contract negotiation.
But, like the Dolphins, the Redskins does not have a large cap space for now. Specifically, the team only has about $11.1 million. However, the team can get around this by either releasing one of its high profile members or through salary cuts.
