The Buffalo Bills will likely be adding a cornerback this offseason to compete for the job opposite Tre’Davious White. However, that player should not be Josh Norman.
Shortly after it was announced that the Washington Redskins were releasing cornerback Josh Norman, the Buffalo Bills started popping up as his potential next team. The Panthers-Bills connection has been regularly brought up and it makes sense as the team will likely be in the market for a cornerback to play opposite Tre’Davious White.
#Redskins are releasing CB Josh Norman, source says. Intriguing situation to watch, as he now has time to find his new team ahead of free agency.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 14, 2020
Josh Norman at one point in his career was considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league and during that time Sean McDermott was his defensive coordinator. Both were key pieces for the Panthers run to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
Norman parlayed his performance in Carolina into a huge 5-year, $75 million contract with the Washington Redskins. This happened after the Panthers rescinded the franchise tag they applied earlier that offseason.
However, he didn’t produce to the level expected when you become one of the top paid cornerbacks in the league. He saw his play decline over the years and at 32 years old, he shouldn’t be relied upon as a starting cornerback.
The Buffalo Bills front office has tried to find short term solutions to the cornerback position by signing players like Levi Wallace, Vontae Davis and Kevin Johnson. Some of these moves have worked, like Wallace and Johnson, and some certainly did not, like Davis.
This offseason the focus for Brandon Beane needs to be to find a long term solution at the position instead of this patchwork that they have done the past few years. That is why Norman doesn’t make sense for the Buffalo Bills because he would not be a long term answer.