Buffalo Bills: Josh Norman one of the top veterans with most to prove
Recently, Bleacher Report named Buffalo Bills’ cornerback Josh Norman among six veterans who have the most to prove this season.
The Buffalo Bills entered this offseason knowing they needed to bring in competition for the starting cornerback job opposite Tre’Davious White. General manager Brandon Beane continued to go the route of older veterans and sometimes it has worked, like Kevin Johnson last year, and other times not so much, like Vontae Davis the year before that.
This year, the team brought in a player very familiar to Sean McDermott’s defense and that is former Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman. The two know each other well from their days with the Carolina Panthers and the hope is they can rekindle some of Norman’s success there.
That is why it wasn’t surprising to see Norman’s name among six veterans who need to prove they are not washed up in an article by Chris Roling on Bleacher Report.
"Norman is another example of a veteran possibly on his last chance. This one comes with the Buffalo Bills, likely in part due to his past connections with names like head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane.But if Norman doesn’t rebound in new surroundings, it won’t be long before he’s watching as younger guys on the depth chart take his snaps for the second season in a row."
As Roling notes, that final season with the Panthers in 2015, Norman was named to the first-team All-Pro and was a key part of a defense that made it to the Super Bowl. However, he failed to find the same success in Washington and was benched the second half of the year.
For the Buffalo Bills, it is a calculated risk that could pay off major dividends for them this coming year. In this defense, he is not going to be asked to be that top, shutdown corner but rather line up against the opposing offenses second, or third, option in the passing game.
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A return to Sean McDermott’s defense has given Josh Norman high expectations this coming season and he appears ready for the challenge. In an interview with TMZ he said he expects to return to that high level with an “All-World season” for the Buffalo Bills in 2020.