Calculator Crowd Likes Norman
April 21st, 2016
Yes, free agent Josh Norman is a damned good cornerback. He blew up this past season and wants to get paid. No issue with that at all.
And while it gives Joe pause that the Stinking Panthers pulled the rug from under Norman and chased him out the door like a stray cat that wandered inside by accident, Norman just may be the second-final cog the Bucs need into turning a listless defense around.
(The final cog would be finally obtaining a friggin’ edge rusher.)
It seems the numberscrunchers of the world just love Norman. And Joe is starting to understand why. Let’s look at the head honcho of the PFF tribe, the guy who owns the site, NBC Sports analyst and former stud NFL wide receiver Cris Collinsworth.
@CollinsworthPFF – Josh Norman allowed a passer rating of 54.0 last season, best in NFL. @PFF
Joe has serious issues with this nonsense peddled known as quarterback ratings. At best, it’s a terribly flawed statistic. Don’t believe Joe? Just look at the top all-time quarterback ratings leaders.
But even Joe has the common sense to determine that a 54.0 quarterback rating is damned low. And that’s damned good defense.
Of course the Bucs could use this guy, c’mon.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:35 am
Cut Verner and sign him today.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:37 am
Alvin Harper was a “great” receiver with the Vols and the Cowboys and so we sign him. Turns out he wasn’t really all that great he had been benefiting from Michael Irvin’s double teams on the other side.
Norman has a LOT of that going here as well. He played on a team with the very best front seven in all of pro football for one of the most respected defensive minds in all of football on team with one of the best offenses in football.
I’ve just seen too many times where we desperate Buc faithful get all worked up over a “star” who simply can “star” as well in our defense.
Realist made a great point earlier. Look at Talib and other Defenders who have left us only to blossom elsewhere. A lot of our defensive problems have been horrible coaching thanks to nepotism as much as talent.
Bonzai has done a great job using PFF techniques to show that Banks has already demonstrated numbers nearly as good as Norman’s while playing with a horrid defense!
April 21st, 2016 at 9:38 am
No need to cut Verner. I bet he has a rejuvenation this year under Mike Smith and Brett Maxie. Just cut sackless George Johnson and convert a big chunk of VJax’s salary into a signing bonus. That will free up way more than enough to get a deal done, plus have more than enough left over to sign all the draft picks and maybe one or two mid-level free agents after cut-downs before preseason. Bada boom, bada bing…all nice and tidy.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:43 am
I’m sorry, but the front 7 of Carolina is why Norman has a stellar year. He is average at best.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:58 am
Value and performance oriented Ron Rivera should not be ignored in favor of stat freaks. Do so at your peril.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:01 am
I don’t think Norman is over rated. Top 3 CB in the nfl. Get him if they can.
As for the QB ratings, based on that list without seeing details, it seems there is heavy value on simply passing more because so many modern abs are on there.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:10 am
How about we trade a 1st round pick for a one year rental like Revis!…Enough with the high end cornerback failure…PASS
April 21st, 2016 at 10:10 am
Everyone is saying that the Panthers DL made him the corner he is but could it be that he made the DL better? Maybe just maybe the QB couldn’t get rid of the ball when he wanted to. I’d give him Darrelle Revis contract and cut our losses after one year if it doesn’t work out. Coach Smith knows how to maximize his talent and not force a square peg into a round hole.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:11 am
How long has he been in league ? One ? Cause never heard of him before or him being pro bowler.
Has he only had on year of great play in career ?
April 21st, 2016 at 10:13 am
“Average” would be a drastic improvement over what we had last season, just not at 16 million. I’m confident we can reach average easily with the coaching upgrades that have been made. Player upgrades can be made much cheaper through the draft. More affordable FAs will become available in the coming months. Reavis cost more than he was worth. Learn from past mistakes. Don’t cripple our cap. We have our guys who have earned the right to be overpaid in the next couple of years.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:24 am
I think we learned that you don’t take a lock down corner and put him in a zone.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:27 am
not sure he’s a pure shut down cb….seems more of a system cb and that’s why riveria is letting him walk…one thing I do like about him and what this team needs is his attitude…GO BUCS!!!
April 21st, 2016 at 10:30 am
For those claiming he’s only had one great year; please stop embarrassing yourselves. Just because you are ignorant to his excellence doesn’t make him “not good”:
Take time to educate yourselves:
“Norman is currently our top-graded cornerback through four weeks of the season, with coverage numbers that have been looking eye-popping for a while dating back to last season.
Norman was thrown at only 58 times a year ago, but he allowed just 27 catches (46.6%). That catch rate was bettered only by Vontae Davis among starters. It was better than Richard Sherman, better than Chris Harris Jr., better than Darrelle Revis, better by more than 10 percent than Desmond Trufant, Stephon Gilmore or Patrick Peterson.
He allowed 291 yards all season, and just 74 after the catch. QBs throwing his way in 2014 had a passer rating of 53.2, and between interceptions and passes defensed he broke up 10 passes.
As impressive as those numbers are, he’s improved this season. He has already been targeted 35 times, but has maintained his shutdown levels of completion percentage (42.9 percent). He has allowed 129 yards so far, but at a lower average than a season ago, and already has four interceptions across four games.
Opposing quarterbacks targeting him this season have a passer rating of just 23.1, the best mark in the NFL, edging out Darrelle Revis (23.9).”
That would be back to back seasons as the top or top 2 CB in the league, showing exactly what you want from a young player entering his prime; a guy who is continuing to get better every year he is in the league. Stop this “what has ever done or he’s a one year wonder nonsense”, it invalidates your entire opinion because it’s just flat wrong.
April 21st, 2016 at 11:15 am
This is exactly the kind of guy that a good team lets go of because all he wants is money and he signs with a bad team for a lot of money and is never heard of again.
April 21st, 2016 at 11:23 am
What Matthew and Couch just said.
April 21st, 2016 at 11:30 am
Matthew : two years I guess at best the article you cut from gives facts of four games in. Not worth 16 million a year , no way ! Would I like him he’ll yes but not at that price and if we can’t rush the qb he wint have those numbers. You didn’t even know who he was 2 years ago as the rest of nfl unless you are Carolina fan
April 21st, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Amen Matthew, Well Said
April 21st, 2016 at 2:34 pm
Wasn’t it already determined that NO cornerback is worth $16M per year in a system that will play more zone than man coverage?
At least we wouldn’t be giving up a 1st and 3rd round pick this time to re-learn that lesson if Licht does wind up signing Norman. I’m guessing we won’t be interested if his demands are north of $12M per year.
April 21st, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Man ‘some people’ struggle with reading comprehension. The article I cited was at the beginning of this season which ended up being his best to date; it speaks about his previous season where he was EQUALLY dominant something that flies in the face of the lunatics on these boards claiming he’s a “one season wonder”. Why is that hard to understand?!
The salary cap continues to rise every year, the best CB’s in the league are worth 12-15m per it goes with the inflation of the cap. Thus, Norman signing his new deal now as a top CB will be more than when Sherman, Revis, ect signed there’s. Doug martin makes more than Walter Payton ever did, it doesn’t make Martin any less deserving of his 7.5 million per year he’s getting, that’s the market. Several other posters have done a great job breaking down the numbers showing he is not asking for something unrealistic. I just never thought I’d see the day that you have supposed “Bucs fans”, not wanting a player who would obviously make us better and it doesn’t cost the team draft picks it just costs the Glazer’s money. Unfathomable. Combined with so many people having just flat bad information to go with their bad opinions:
“He’s 29!” well actually he’s 28.
“He’s a one hit wonder” well actually he’s put back to back seasons up as the best 1 or two CB’s in the league.
“He’s a locker room cancer” well actually he’s a beloved teammate who was a huge contributor on a super bowl caliber defense.
“He tried to injure a franchise QB” well actually the QB started the fight by his own admission because he was mad Norman kept intercepting him and talking smack.
“He only cares about money” well actually he slept in his car to play at coastal Carolina because he wanted to get better and some day make the NFL.
“The Panthers didn’t want him” well actually they did, and were willing to pay him 14 million with the franchise tag or 11-12 mil per for a long term deal but due to them being financially strapped with other big deals on the horizon they couldn’t go much higher in their GM (who is a notorious penny pincher) at 12 mil per.
I’m sure despite all of the facts to the contrary those who’ve made up their mind they don’t like Norman will continue to just float the narrative he stinks.
April 21st, 2016 at 5:18 pm
This would actually benifit our safeties as well…. I can see Banks Grimes or Norman playing free…. But we would not be able to sign Mo Wilkerson if this happens….
Or would we… If you sign both of these guys you can go strong on the offensive side of the ball grabbing BPA… The trade with the Jets is still on the table… Get 2 #2s trade MG8 and number 9 and let JW3 win is a SB THIS YEAR!!!!!
FINISH BUILDING THE DAGUM OFFENSE before worrying to much about D in the draft!!!!!