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2016 NFL Free Agency: 5 teams that should sign Josh Norman

By John Buhler

Jan 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman (24) celebrates during the NFC Divisional round playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman (24) celebrates during the NFC Divisional round playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 13, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Rashad Greene (13) is tackled by Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman (24) during the second half at EverBank Field. The Panthers defeat the Jaguars 20-9. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Rashad Greene (13) is tackled by Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman (24) during the second half at EverBank Field. The Panthers defeat the Jaguars 20-9. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

. AFC. South. Jacksonville Jaguars. 2. player. 52

Don’t look now, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have the ability to greatly improve their already on-the-rise team in 2016. Not only do the Jaguars have a ton of draft picks, including the No. 5 overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, but Jacksonville will have more available cap space than any team in the NFL head into free agency.

Jacksonville will have over $74.6 million to spend on would be free agents this spring to radically transform its football team. Last offseason, the Jaguars were able to land a huge signing in tight end Julius Thomas in free agency. Though he dealt with a broken finger for half the season, his return helped quarterback Blake Bortles become one of the better quarterbacks in the AFC in only year two out of Central Florida.

While the Jaguars offense is absolutely on the rise with Bortles, Thomas, and wide receiver extraordinaire Allen Robinson, the defense of head coach Gus Bradley is still too bland for Jacksonville to really make any noise in the weak AFC South. Bradley was once the great defensive coordinator for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks in 2012, but has yet to establish a great defensive identity in North Florida.

Though Bradley has decent players in his front seven like Telvin Smith, Paul Posluszny, and Sen’Derrick Marks, he probably needs more help in the secondary than anything. While the Jaguars are almost certainly going to go with a cornerback at No. 5 in the 2016 NFL Draft, would it be all that crazy if they doubled down and brought former Carolina Panthers shutdown corner Josh Norman to EverBank Field?

Well, the Jaguars certainly have the money to pay Norman handsomely to leave his NFC elite team to join one of the worst franchises in the NFL in the last 10 years. However, there is wide-spread belief that Jacksonville is going to turn it around in a matter of seasons.

The pieces are coming together and Norman could stand as a cornerstone to that franchise’s defense, something he could never do with the Panthers because of how dominant Luke Kuechly is at middle linebacker for Carolina. It may not be Norman, but the Jaguars will get somebody big to sign with them on the defensive side of the ball in 2016 NFL Free Agency.

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