Is Carolina Panthers’ cornerback Josh Norman a ‘shutdown corner’?
Some of his teammates called him one late last year. He’d certainly say he is. But what about Dave Gettleman?
Well, first of all, the Carolina Panthers’ general manager isn’t a fan of that term.”
Shutdown corner is a misnomer. There’s very few of them. It’s so hard. You can’t cover forever,” Gettleman said. “Let me tell you something: If there’s no pass rush, there’s no shutdown corners. Plain and simple.”
Gettleman affinity for pass rushers isn’t a secret, and that may be important in the context of a potential long-term contract for Norman.
Since he came to Carolina in 2013, Gettleman has used Band-Aids to cover up spots in the defensive backfield. Then Norman emerged midway through last season, leaving the Panthers in a bit of a pickle.
Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Norman wants to be extended. But he hasn’t yet put together a complete standout season, and he’ll already be 28 in December.
The flip side is the Panthers could likely lock him in with a modest deal right now. If they wait and he shines in 2015, he’ll be much more expensive next offseason.
Gettleman won’t talk about contracts, but would he admit Norman’s talent could tempt him to make a somewhat sizable investment in the defensive backfield?
“I’m not going there.”
So … stay tuned.
“He made a lot of progress,” Gettleman said. “Like any other young player, there’s still room to grow. You’ve got to see how he continues to ascend.”
Monday’s Pre-Camping with Dave Gettleman Posting Schedule
8 a.m. — Cam Newton’s Offseason
10 a.m. — Negotiations
12 p.m. — Josh Norman
2 p.m. — Current Salary Cap Status
4 p.m. — 2016 Comp Picks