Josh Norman is reuniting with the coach that helped turn him into a star. Weeks after Washington released Norman for cap purposes, the former All-Pro cornerback agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills and Sean McDermott.
McDermott spent four seasons coaching Norman as Panthers defensive coordinator, a stretch that included the 2015 season that ended with an All-Pro selection for Norman. He was never really the same after leaving McDermott’s scheme and his familiarity with the system was one of the main factors in him signing on with Buffalo, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.
Josh Norman spoke to several teams following his release and quietly visited Buffalo. He decided on a one-year deal with the #Bills because of his familiarity with the defensive system and the talent around him, including Tre’davious White on the other side of the field.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 9, 2020
Norman’s deal will pay him $6 million but the value could jump to $8 million with incentives. Will he perform well enough to earn that money now that he’s back with his old coach? And did the Bills get good value for a corner who is clearly on the downside of his career?
Let’s grade the deal…
The Bills came into the offseason with plenty of money to spend, so it’s not like they’re taking a big financial risk here. Norman will almost certainly walk into the starting lineup, slotting in right behind Tre’Davious White on the depth chart as the team’s No. 2 corner, which had been an area of concern for one of the league’s best defenses in 2019.
Considering that, the Bills are getting a pretty good deal, as a $6 million cap hit would rank 30th among corners in 2020 — and that’s before free agency will surely push that ranking down. So even if Norman doesn’t rejuvenate his career, Buffalo won’t live to regret this contract. And if the change in scenery does lead to a bounce-back season, we’ll look back at this move as one of the best of the offseason.
The big deal Norman signed in Washington created expectations he was never going to meet. Even during his finest season as a pro — his 2015 campaign in Carolina — he was never the shutdown corner he was portrayed to be. The Panthers employed a zone-heavy scheme that rarely left Norman on an island. He simply had to stay on top of routes and rely on his instincts (rather than his athleticism) to make plays. In Washington, he was asked to do more, both mentally and physically, and the results were … not great.
Over the last few years, Norman has been on the wrong side of highlights far too often. The acrobatic plays and smart reads faded away and were replaced by coverage busts and vertical routes that Norman couldn’t keep up with.
Just moving to a better-coached defense should lead to improved performance. I don’t know if Norman will ever be the play-maker he was in Carolina, but McDermott should be able to coax at least solid play out of the 32-year-old. In Buffalo, Norman will mostly play zone coverages, where he’s at his best. According to Sports Info Solutions, the Bills played zone on 70% of pass snaps over the second half of the season, one of the highest usage rates in the league.
More specifically, Buffalo’s defense majors in Quarters and Cover 3. That’s right in Norman’s wheelhouse. In both coverages, Norman will be asked to keep routes in front of him. Even at this point in his career, he’s capable of doing that. In these coverages, Norman will also be able to keep his eyes on the quarterback and make plays on the ball.
(Per Sports Info Solutions, Norman played just 108 coverage snaps in Quarters and Cover 3 combined in 2019. By comparison, Tre’Davious White played 248.)
With White on the other side, the newest Bills defensive back should get plenty of opportunities to make a play. It’s an ideal set-up for a defense: On one side, you have a true lockdown player (White) who will force quarterbacks to turn to his ancillary options; on the other side, you have a read-and-react player who has shown an ability to get his hands on the ball. Throw in a pair of smart, play-making safeties in Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer plus a productive pass rush, and you have the makings of an elite pass defense.
If Norman is even 80% of the player he was in Carolina, passing against this Bills defense will be a risky proposition for opponents. And if he isn’t, Buffalo can easily move on without taking much of a financial hit. These are the kind of “risks” you want to take at this time of the year.
Grade: A
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