Buffalo Bills fans, already attempting to catch up on sleep from the changing of the clocks, woke up to some surprising news Monday morning. Former Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman signed with the Bills for a reported one-year, $6 million deal with incentives to earn a max of $8 million during the 2020 season.
Sources: #Bills have agreed to terms with CB Josh Norman to a one-year deal worth $6 million base value with incentives that can get him to $8 million. Norman reunites with Sean McDermott, his defensive coordinator all four seasons with the #Panthers.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 9, 2020
Norman entered the league in 2012 as a fifth-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers out of Coastal Carolina. Under the tutelage of then-defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, Norman quickly established himself as one of the best corners in the league, culminating with an All-Pro nod in 2015.
After helping to lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2015, Norman left in free agency, signing a massive contract with the Washington Redskins. At the time, it made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Regrettably, as most free-agent contracts are, it was a letdown due to poor play. He became known as a problem player, slowly getting knocked down the rungs of the top cornerbacks until he was released from his contract after four rocky years this February.
Looking at Norman’s injury history, it is incredibly favorable for someone who plays in such a physical position. Below are his year-by-year injuries.
- 2012 Panthers: no documented injuries.
- 2013 Panthers: Played seven games, missed nine games due to healthy scratches.
- 2014 Panthers: Missed two games due to concussion, suffered a leg injury that did not cause him to miss time.
- 2015 Panthers: Suffered a concussion in the preseason, missed no games.
- 2016 Redskins: Dealt with a concussion and wrist injuries, missed no games.
- 2017 Redskins: Sustained a shoulder injury, missed no games; missed two games due to rib injury along with an injury to his lung lining.
- 2018 Redskins: no documented injuries.
- 2019 Redskins: thigh injury, missed one game; hamstring, missed no games; illness, missed one game.
Considering he has missed only five games due to injury over the course of an eight-year career is impressive. The biggest concern reviewing all the injuries is the concussion history, with three documented and only missing two games total. He continues to be at risk for further concussions but considering his last one was in 2016 it bodes well for his time in Buffalo.
Norman will have to battle with the likes of cornerbacks Levi Wallace and Kevin Johnson (if he doesn’t leave) for a starting position on this team. If he fails to make the starting roster, a player with his experience can only help the room and provide above-average depth at a sometimes shaky position last year.
This signing deviates away from what general manager Brandon Beane has done in recent free-agency periods—buying low on injured players to exploit a market inefficiency. Beane has taken an established player who under-performed with his previous team and will try to squeeze a little extra out of a career that is clearly on the back end.