The Buffalo Bills have reportedly added former All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman to their secondary on Monday.
While free agency doesn’t open until March 18, Norman was already previously released by the Redskins last month so the Bills were able to sign him.
With the addition of Norman to the Bills’ secondary, here are 13 things to know about him:
All-Pro under McDermott
The biggest and most-pointed out aspect of Norman’s past is the one he has in relation to the Bills head coach, Sean McDermott. Prior to joining the Bills, McDermott was the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator from 2011 to 2016. During that time, Norman was there from 2012 to 2015.
In that final season came Norman’s best season as a pro. He was named an All-Pro after putting together a strong year which included 56 tackles, 18 pass breakups, four interceptions and three forced fumbles. That year the Panthers eventually fell in the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos. Overall, the Panthers were the No. 6 overall defense in the NFL in 2015, falling to No. 12 without Norman the following season.
The clear thinking for the Bills here is that Norman can return to that All-Pro 2015 form if he’s playing McDermott’s defensive scheme once again.