Written by Mike Jones and Master Tesfatsion at Washington Post.com
The tweet that stunned the NFL on Wednesday was published at 5:02 p.m. For Josh Norman, the news arrived through a phone call. The cornerback was driving back from his stepsister’s funeral when his main agent at the time, Michael George, notified Norman that the Carolina Panthers rescinded his non-exclusive franchise tag. One of the top cornerbacks in the NFL had hit the market six weeks into free agency, eight days before the draft and on an already emotional day.
What transpired over the next 48 hours begat yet another unexpected and significant addition to the Washington Redskins for the third straight offseason. Norman, meanwhile, received financial stability at a price the Panthers refused to pay. On the surface, it has the feeling of a classic splash acquisition by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder — a five-year deal worth $75 million. But more went on behind the scenes to suggest this addition was different.
The Redskins ditched their conservative offseason approach and devised an aggressive plan to acquire the 28-year-old cornerback, people with knowledge of the situation told The Washington Post under the condition of anonymity. For two hectic days, Washington threw every resource at Norman, hoping to address a significant need in the secondary. And it worked.
It began with Carolina’s unanticipated move that immediately made Norman an unrestricted free agent. Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman and Director of Team Administration Rob Rogers had attempted to negotiate a long-term deal with George for more than a year, especially after Carolina applied the non-exclusive franchise tag March 1. Norman was coming off a season in which he was arguably the best cornerback in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl and first-team all-pro nods for the first time in his career.
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