Make The Call To Josh Norman
April 20th, 2016
Seeking a new home
Stud, big-attitude cornerback Josh Norman is a free man looking for work. A contract stalemate led the Panthers to shock the football world this evening and tear up Norman’s franchise tag — because he hadn’t signed it yet.
Are the Bucs ready to win now?
That’s really the $16-million-a-year question for Jason Licht and Team Glazer. Norman, at 28 years old, was a true game-changer last season for the NFC champs. Just ask Mike Evans.
Norman is there to be courted, and the Bucs have the salary cap room — and even more money flexibility if they dump cornerback Alterraun Verner after signing Norman.
Norman should like the looks of the Bucs’ defense, with a Pro Bowler at cornerback (Brent Grimes), linebacker (Lavonte David) and defensive line (Gerald McCoy), and a new defensive coordinator who knows what the hell he’s doing. Plus he’d get a shot to face his former team twice a year.
Yes, Jason Licht was a player in the brain-dead move to let Darrelle Revis walk out the door in his prime. So Joe believes now is the time to right a historic wrong. Norman doesn’t have Revis’ resumé, but he’s an elite corner in his prime.
It’s not like Norman would come to Tampa and steal playing time from a young player on the rise. He fits.
All Joe is asking for Licht to get on the phone and really explore the opportunity. What’s the harm in that?
April 20th, 2016 at 7:19 pm
SIGN HIM…
April 20th, 2016 at 7:20 pm
OK, sign em, sign hardy, draft Rankins, then ogbah/spece…let’s get it
YO JOE!
GO BUCS!!!
#BUCUTALKINBOUT
April 20th, 2016 at 7:21 pm
This is where I disagree. He’s 28 years old. His prime is passed
April 20th, 2016 at 7:21 pm
No, joe I think you are wrong on this one- he is not that great – we should not pay this guy 16m a year, I’ll take banks over him any day. He had the benefit of a strong Dline and good lbs and almost always played with safety over top- when he didn’t , he got burned- no thank you!
April 20th, 2016 at 7:25 pm
For now..Pricetag will be far to high. Better to stick with draft.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:27 pm
Cream
Lol. Past his prime at 28? Funny. I dont think theyre gona pay big bucks anymore to free agents but he’s just entering his prime….for football that is. Not sure what youre referring to
April 20th, 2016 at 7:28 pm
i think the people willing to spend the money have already spent it. signing him would put us in a terrific spot draft wise
April 20th, 2016 at 7:29 pm
PS of the teams left with the space, LICHT HAS THE BIGGEST BALLS OF ALL
April 20th, 2016 at 7:29 pm
Something sure smells fishy here.
Could be a league suspension coming down the pipes. Let him sit until after the draft, by then the smoke should clear and the answer should be out on why this happened. Teams don’t just do this for no good reason.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:30 pm
Agree getaclue!!!!!!!!!
and he’ll play twice against his old team.
Please licht for the love of God, do whatever it takes!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 20th, 2016 at 7:36 pm
Past his prime at 28 years old? I’m not crazy about the idea of signing him, but its got nothing to do with his age.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:39 pm
(Ill take Banks over him any day) WTF
Oh today is 4/20 Gotcha BigBuc !
Dirk & Jason should be on a plane with a bag full of money right now !
April 20th, 2016 at 7:40 pm
He wants $16+ million a year…….NO!
April 20th, 2016 at 7:40 pm
Hes not elite, he’s not the best corner in the league and he’s not worth the headache or the money he is demanding. I dont believe Panthers let him go simply because they couldn’t afford him. He skipped OTAs and clearly was going to be a distraction, you dont sign guys like that to big contracts. His release is more of a reason to pause rather than to sign him.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:41 pm
Not to mention he’s only been starting for 2 years and only has had 1 really good season. 16 million? Heck no. He’s not even worth the 14 he was originaly going to get paid with the franchise tag.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:42 pm
He allowed an NFL best opp passer rating of 54. Sign him.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:45 pm
ESPN is reporting that he got word he was released while he was at a funeral. I really think that the Buccaneers have a legitimate shot of picking him up for no other reason then I think Josh would love to stick it right in the Panthers’ rear-portions.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:49 pm
Amen Trooper…I don’t understand why people are saying he’s not worth the money…whaaaaat???
Hope Licht is on the Glaser jet getting the blank check ready..lol…
April 20th, 2016 at 7:53 pm
No, not for 16 mil a year. In the words of Jason Licht, “build through the draft.”
April 20th, 2016 at 7:54 pm
He is solid, but 16 MIL is a ton of money to pay to a guy who only played in a contract year. You guys thought 7 was way too much for Martin and he had 2 great years. This guy reminds me of Albert haynesworth…
April 20th, 2016 at 7:55 pm
People act like it’s their money. The bucs have been sitting on salary cap room
for years, time to step up.
April 20th, 2016 at 7:56 pm
Capt Blighe
Smoke’m if you got’em (Ref: StPete & SB) lol
April 20th, 2016 at 7:59 pm
Has nothing to do with whos money it is. Its about spending smart, and 16 million for a guy with only 1 year of production and only been starting for 2 years is not spending wisely.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:01 pm
Evening my brothers! What round was Norman drafted in? Oh yeah…….I’ll pass and get one in the draft that is less expensive for the next 5 years. Norman is the product of an Extremely well put together Defense that doesn’t put alot of heat on him. OH Yeah and a Big focking Mouth
April 20th, 2016 at 8:02 pm
To expensive for only one year of good production. No, build through the draft.
If he is willing to sign for 7 or 8 million I am cool with that.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:02 pm
Sign
Greg Hardy
Josh Norman
Draft
Jack Conklin
Shilique Calhoun
Tyler Boyd (If We Trade Glennon)
Cyrus Jones (Good for at least 2 punt returns)
Jihad Ward
Jakeem Grant (Good for at least 1 Kick off Return)
NFC South Champs (2016)???
April 20th, 2016 at 8:02 pm
Lol LUV……I am actually a Legal smoker. I am licensed. Something I never thought I would see in my lifetime.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:03 pm
SB with Jameis
Happy 4/20 my bruddah!!
April 20th, 2016 at 8:03 pm
Wow. Past his prime was a comment. 28 yrs old is when you max out size wise. And whoever said he is not that good is a dang moron. He was the best corner last year. Better than revis. Better than Sherman. Is he worth 16 a year. No player at his position should get that. But think about it. The cap is going up each year it seems like. In a few years, that will be the norm for top corners.
Bucs could make power play and get him and then move up and draft Ramsey and now you have some serious street cred.
Not many teams have that kinda money to spend but someone will.
Something else must have happened . He ripped management or something
April 20th, 2016 at 8:04 pm
Yeah doesn’t take much to get approved.
The stress of running a business- and couple of underwater mortgages – is a Beeotch…lol
April 20th, 2016 at 8:05 pm
LOL LUV………..I am going to light one up JUST as soon as I push ‘submit comment’!!!!
April 20th, 2016 at 8:06 pm
Lol
April 20th, 2016 at 8:08 pm
Not wishing any bad luck on any of you guys but I sure hope a Hurricane hits the Gulf Coast hard this yr (as usually happens after an El Nino) so I can work down there for the Summer and Fall! I am ready to attend a Bucs game again!!
April 20th, 2016 at 8:08 pm
He isnt worth that kind of money.
He is a good CB, who’s had one good year( oddly , his contract year)
He is no where near as good as Darrelle Revis. Norman couldnt carry his jock
Norman is no where near as good as Pete Peterson
Hes good. No where near elite
He believes hes great. He isnt
Thats why Carolina had no problem chopping him
April 20th, 2016 at 8:11 pm
SIGN THIS MAN!!!
4 yr/$50M with $18M guaranteed.
Worst case – We cut him next year. Lose out on one year gamble. No risk, no reward.
Best case? Win the NFC South by unleashing Norman against the rest of the division and sticking it to his old team. This could be a very dangerous team come January.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:12 pm
CB – Josh Norman (2015)
– Allowed a passer rating of 54.0 last season, best in NFL.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:14 pm
If you are a buc fan an want the bucs to win,how can you not want this guy…
April 20th, 2016 at 8:15 pm
The last team to rescind a franchise tag was the Seattle Seahawks on LeRoy Hill in 2009. The two sides then came to an agreement on a long-term contract four days later.
So they could resign him
April 20th, 2016 at 8:17 pm
No player outside of a QB should be paid 16 million dollars. That’s too much of your cap space. If he was as great as he thinks he is, he’d have gotten paid in Carolina. He’s also a piece of crap. Pass.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:17 pm
No to Hardy.
Yes to Norman.
First Rd – Rankins (if we can trade back a few spots and still grab him while picking up an extra pick great, if not take him at 9)
Second Rd – DE Spence, Ogbah, Bullard, Dodd
Third Rd – WR Boyd, Shepard, or LB Deon Jones
Fourth Rd – Go whatever we didn’t take in the third
5th and 6th Rds – Gronkowski, Aguayo, and OL
April 20th, 2016 at 8:18 pm
I write some articles on another site for the NFCS LUV and I know at least 5 Panthers fans that would rather let him walk than pay him. He wants too much in their opinion. I will take a fan’s opinion over a critic in these types of situations. One of my best Ebuds that is a Panthers fan said that he is a perfect Cover 3 CB but needs help in man to man more often than not. Carolina’s Defense is Rock Focking Solid under Riverboat Ron so It is easy to make a name in it. I think he is good but not worth the money for us as we still have Banks who has never been given a shot and we have several options in the draft.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:19 pm
SB with Jameis
#Respect
April 20th, 2016 at 8:19 pm
What Salish just said too.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:21 pm
For the people that say he isn’t great and that is why the Panthers pulled the tag – you do not know what you are talking about. The Panthers pulled the tag because they have other younger players on their roster they want to pay that they value over Norman. If they could work out a deal they would.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:26 pm
Would be cool but seriously doubt it. Norman and Bosa… Dream typing.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:30 pm
SB with Jameis … “Not wishing any bad luck on any of you guys but I sure hope a Hurricane hits the Gulf Coast hard this yr (as usually happens after an El Nino) so I can work down there for the Summer and Fall!”
YGBSM … Get off the weed and you’ll see how dumb that comment really was.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:30 pm
Lol sounds like a bunch of bitter Buc fans not trying to give the man his due cause he owned us as a panther. He is in fact elite and has proven it the past two seasons.
Lmao y’all crack me up.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:30 pm
Jalen Ramsey > Josh Norman every day
April 20th, 2016 at 8:34 pm
No thanks, we got Johnathan Banks…
April 20th, 2016 at 8:35 pm
Once the Bucs build a culture as a team they will be able to take some fliers like the good teams. However, right now they need to be very careful who they add to the mix. A good draft this year could build the foundation for years. Don’t throw big dollars at a potential problem. I trust the staff and coaches to make the right calls with a lot more info. Remember Johnny Football was the potential answer to all our problems not too long ago.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:35 pm
Many people have owned us over the last 10 years. Lol dont see how that has anything to do with anything. He’s only been good one year, one year doesnt make anyone elite. What cracks me up is anyone that thinks one good year deserves 16 Million, now thats some funny sh!t!!!!
April 20th, 2016 at 8:36 pm
It’s a shame the “Rockstar” isn’t our GM anymore. He could have traded our 1st and 3rd/4th round pick for the right to pay Norman 16 million a year.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:47 pm
One pro bowl season as a corner behind one of the best pass rushes does not equal closet to QB money. This is Revis all over again but with less production.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:50 pm
Recent 5th Round Defensive Backs that became All-Pro’s
*Just to Name a few
Kam Chancellor – 5th round (133rd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Richard Sherman – 5th round (154th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Josh Norman – 5th round (143rd overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Goes to show you – you don’t need to spend premium picks on defensive backs-
When you can get pressure on the quarterback
April 20th, 2016 at 8:53 pm
YGBSM … Get off the weed and you’ll see how dumb that comment really was.
……………………
Son I have been doing Storm Work since 1987 and I will forgive you for your myopia. Storms hit places. This is a fact of life. I spent my first 37 yrs of life in Florida and know a tiny bit about hurricanes. They happen and one WILL happen somewhere in the Gulf Coast this yr. So if I hurt your feelings then that is on you my friend. Go BUCS!
April 20th, 2016 at 8:53 pm
One problem. He has to want to come here. Send recruiter Jaboo.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:55 pm
First to the straw man argument. It’s the Glazer’s money so spend it, why should we worry.
That’s a totally fallacious point since the last CBA mandates owners spend the cap…there are no more Culverhouses and this has nothing to do with the Glazer’s money which the league mandates they spend anyway.
The people who object to this deal do so for a couple of reasons. First some simply do not Norman has enough talent for that much dough…or secondly like me they simply believe that NO CB is worth that much right now to the Bucs because of CAP issues.
I loved Revis but I wasn’t sad to see him go instead of 16 million and Norman is NO Revis..either as a talent or a locker room leader. He’s a borderline cancer but that’s not my major issue.
Geeks here who are capologists can help if I have faulty thinking or numbers and it would be the first time.
The current cap is roughly 155 million annually with adjustments. We all know the cap is going up so for discussion let’s use a cap of 200 million.
16 million is 8% of 200 million. 8% of your TOTAL budget on a single Cornerback. What % do we plan to spend on our QB? How about a great DL?
GMC is getting 6.5%. I’m too lazy to look LVD’s new deal or Martins but you can see where I’m going with this.
GM’s have a point system to allocate for draft picks…I think they must have something similar that shows them how much to allocate to each position.
8% of your total budget is a LOT of money for a team that still has some obvious needs.
Now if you guys are talking about a two year deal for him and then let him walk when we start shoveling all that money to #3..ME..Kwon and others….
Yes we have cap room at the moment. I have money in the bank at the moment. But I still budget for the future not just next year.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:56 pm
He has single handily shut down the best WRs and it started more than 1 season ago. Mostly game in and game out.
Hence the reason he got so much hype coming into this season 😉
I told you I wasn’t going to debate you on FB so dont worry about what I am saying here, as far as you and me. I’m just going to agree to disagree Couch.
I’ll pass bud not interested
Not to mention you don’t need multiple popularity contests ala pro bowls or even years to be considered elite. If you have it you have it and Norman has it.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:57 pm
LMAO…my typo proves my point…not it would be the first time I was wrong…it WOULDN’T be the first time I was wrong.
April 20th, 2016 at 8:58 pm
Bitter isn’t better fellow Buc fans ahahaha
April 20th, 2016 at 8:59 pm
On to the next thread to get my lols
April 20th, 2016 at 9:03 pm
To be fair to the people saying 28 is “past his prime”. They are just listening to Joe to much. You know, the guy who thinks a 27 yr old Martin only has a year or 2 left in his tank…. Don’t blame the sheep, blame the shepherd for putting that ludicrous idea in their heads.
I would love for us to sign Norman. His leice tag is what it is, and we have a truck load of cash. Sign him for 3 or 4 years. His contract will end before we have to pay Winston a bazzilion dollars. Cap room wise, we will be fine for the next 4 years.
If we do end up drafting a CB either this season or next, imagine all of the knowledge and mentoring he will get from Grimes and Norman. He would be set to replace Grimes when his contract is up (or he retires) in 2 years, and it could be a seemless transition.
You draft the future. Any player we draft now will be the players we (hopefully) keep for the next decade. You can’t just let Great players slip through your hands because you “build” through the draft. you can’t build anything without a solid foundation. Right now we are forming up the foundation. It isn’t there yet. When we have a roster that has enough talent to win 8 games a year then we can start “building” the rest of the way.
I think licht is smart and will make the right decision. Im not going to say we need norman, i think our current CBs are good enough. But it would really step up our CB geoup if we could add a top 5 CB.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:04 pm
You dont want to argue because you know I’m right. But thats ok cuz in time you’ll see Licht is thinking the same way I am. You can forget about your Norman dream. LoL
April 20th, 2016 at 9:07 pm
Licht has had good drafts but has sucked when it’s come to free agents, I fully expect the Bucs to not even get in on the bidding. BTW cut Verner and Jackson and you got $17-million right there.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:09 pm
Bottom Line is that Norman is a 5th round choice the Panthers hit good on. FYI Kuechly has been technically rated the third best player on Carolina’s D because it is so solid. Norman would be lackluster on a Defense without a passrush. But hey…….wtf!
April 20th, 2016 at 9:10 pm
How about this? Give Josh Norman a 1 year, $16 Million dollar deal. All money would be guaranteed. If it doesn’t work out, kick him out the door. If he does well, bring him to the contract room, and get a deal done.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:12 pm
Funny the outlook difference I get from different sites. Here, where it is all Bucs fans, vs. a neutral site is a magnanimous difference in opinions.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:19 pm
U of Seffner
I would not mind tying up 16 mil for one year but Norman is not going to settle for a 16 million dollars. He’s planning on a LOT more guaranteed money!
A final question for those in favor of this deal. Again I loved Revis but if a cornerback was really worth 16 million why did Belichek let him go for less?
If Norman was the next coming of Revis why did the Panthers tear up their 14 million deal?
April 20th, 2016 at 9:20 pm
Joe, I guarantee you that Licht has already made the exploratory phone call. There’s a few what the heck’s to be answered though. What the heck will it take financially to lock him up? What the heck is Norman’s mindset? Does he want to win now or is he all about the chedda? Finally, what the heck is the reason the Panthers threw in the towel on negotiations? Is there more than meets the eye here? The Panthers didn’t have to release him this early.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:21 pm
sign norman cut verner and johnson go for a de in rounds one and two
April 20th, 2016 at 9:21 pm
SB
Interesting point but can you flesh it out for us a bit? Do you suppose the neutral sites do not follow the Bucs as closely as Buc fans? We do get biased and passionate here but then again the name of the site is JoeBucsFan.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:26 pm
I watch football religiously on Sunday’s (mainly Bucs games) and I’d never even heard of Josh Norman prior to this season. I need to see him have more than one big season before I’m on the Josh Norman bandwagon. If they do sign him I hope they don’t commit too much guaranteed money.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:27 pm
Buyer beware! He eat cut essentially, for his poor self centered attitude. He declared himself as good if not better than Revis, refused to sign his franchise tag, raised to show up for ota’s. This is not the guy you want in your locker room, I was driving through Carolina when the news broke, listened to the story for an hour before I lost signal.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:27 pm
Oh no SPBF…You actually know me well. The site I write for is an outlet for the BSPN NFCS’ers and NFCN’ers that used to frequent there before the Facebook rule. All of the people I am referring to are Lifetime NFSC’ers
April 20th, 2016 at 9:31 pm
No thanks to 16 million a year! (glad your not the GM)
April 20th, 2016 at 9:33 pm
“Not at all surprising #Panthers are moving on from Norman. Zone-based defense built on front 7 — their cap model isn’t set up to pay CBs” from an NFL analyst – most of you guys go off names- that dude didn’t play well till they drafted k. Short and lotuleile- the front seven masked all their mistakes- I mean you tell me big mouth finnegan is good too? These guys were in the CB market for the longest and the draft those two DTs and then don’t need CBs anymore? Vincent Jackson ate his cookies plenty of times in 2013 and 2014. That dude is not worth 16mil- specially if some of you were bitching for having Revis for the same price.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:42 pm
He has one good season and we are going to pay him $16 a year? Cmon now.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:47 pm
I can’t help but wonder if the Stinkin Panthers franchised him but had no intention of actually signing paperwork. They just wanted us to throw a big chunk elsewhere and use up what they think we’d be willing to spend in free agency. That way, he goes elsewhere without intercepting Cam 2 games every year. My conspiracy theory.
April 20th, 2016 at 9:53 pm
How can any one say he is past his prime. He is only 28, which is his prime, and he just finished his rookie contract. Some of the things I read on here…wow
April 20th, 2016 at 10:00 pm
Keep the malcontent turds out of the locker room.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:00 pm
First his price tag WAS $16 million. No one is going to pay that at this point unless there are one piece away from it all. A lot of money has been spent already and unless you sack a quarterback a ten times you are not getting big time money this year. Hell, even qb’s that aren’t elite but have proved themselves can get decent money. To sign him you would have to make it mostly guaranteed upfront so his hit falls off in 2-3 yrs. Dominik was famous for that. Licht, i dunno if that is his MO…
April 20th, 2016 at 10:04 pm
Unless his name Prime Time, no CB is worth $16 m. Not Revis, Sherman or Norman.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:07 pm
The same dude that got into a fight with Cam Newton….he’s likely going to resign with carolina…after he realizes no one wants to pay him 16 mill per year..based on one good year.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:10 pm
T.U.R.D.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:12 pm
The reason why Carolina wouldn’t give him $15 million a year is simple. Kewan Short and Star Louteli. They both will get paid, especially Short. Their GM even came out and said they are putting their faith in their front 7. Five million dollars is a huge difference. That’s how much more Norman wanted. It’s simply a business decision. Jerry Richardson isn’t going to allow a second GM in a row come in there and kill the team with outrageous contracts. Especially ones with dead money at the end of the deals. Something Hurley allowed to happen. And it killed their offseasons for two years in a row.
They also have a stud yound CB that got hurt right before the playoffs started. Benwikery or however you spell it, is a nasty corner. He will fit in lovely behind that front 7.
I would sign him for $15 million a year, but front load the deal. So years 3 and 4 wouldn’t be cap killers. The numbers don’t lie. He is legit and his athleticism is off the charts. He is the real deal. Lastly, our front 7 isn’t too far behind Carolina’s. Sign Norman, get a DE, possibly a DT, and another Safety in the draft. We have the potential to have a great D this season with our talent and Mike Smith calling the plays.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:14 pm
Pats get him…. The pats always get “that dude” in these situations
April 20th, 2016 at 10:16 pm
Plus there are teams like San Fran who have over $50 million left in cap space. And Oakland is all in and still has money to afford him. There are plenty of options available to him.
I like Verner as I have been a supporter of his throughout. But the chance to sign Norman for 15 million and cut Verner to save a little over 6 million. You end up paying a little under $9 million for this season and next for a top corner in the league.
Just not sure if he would come here. All the reports say he wants to play in California. So we would have to step up money wise to have any chance.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:23 pm
The pats always get “that dude” in these situations
Yet they never seem to overspend and they NEVER get locked into long cap killing deals.
They of course are always SB contenders so they have leverage. So Belicheat got to sign Revis to a one year deal…then let’s him walk. He signs/fires/resigns Legarette Bount. He rents Aquib for a few years.
If Norman winds up in NE it’s for the ring…Belichek is not going to get taken to the bank by a bad apple like Norman despite his successful two seasons.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:28 pm
Turds need not apply.
April 20th, 2016 at 10:37 pm
As Love and Warrick used to say………..Just wait on it…………
April 20th, 2016 at 10:39 pm
Deion Sanders is thinking right now……………”Dayum Man! Why wasn’t I born Later.”
April 20th, 2016 at 11:31 pm
Please review the opinions of several defensive coordinators/Gm’s
2016 Shutdown Corners (NFL network)
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-hq/0ap3000000649130/Why-aren-t-there-any-shutdown-corners