NFL Rumors: Saints making a push for Josh Norman

The Washington Redskins are making a very strong push to sign free agent cornerback Josh Norman. The New Orleans Saints are in the mix as well.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as free agent cornerback Josh Norman meets with the NFC East’s Washington Redskins, the NFC South’s New Orleans Saints are making a strong push for the All-Pro corner formerly with the Carolina Panthers as well. Schefter reports the “decision is down to Redskins and Saints” to land the Pro Bowl cornerback.

While both the Redskins and the Saints are in dire need of an upgrade in their defensive backfields, neither club has the salary cap space required to match what the Panthers originally offered with their 2016 franchise tag of $13.952 million.

Washington, according to Spotrac.com, has $11,111,754 available in 2016 cap space, which puts the Redskins with the 19th most money to spend. New Orleans has an NFL worst $2,897,176 to work with in trying to solidify their porous defensive backfield.

Teams apparently may be timid of signing Norman to a multi-year deal, as he will play the 2016 NFL season at 29 years old. Including the team that cut him on Thursday in the Panthers, only 11 teams in the NFL have the salary cap space to match what Carolina general manager Dave Gettleman rescinded from Norman.

Logical teams that need help in the secondary that could afford to pay Norman what he covets included the Jacksonville Jaguars ($54,893,076), the Chicago Bears ($22,605,370), and the New York Giants ($21,005,451).

While both Washington and New Orleans could certainly use Norman’s services in 2016 and beyond, both NFC clubs will have to cut at least one player in the coming days to take on what Norman will command in NFL free agency.

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