Josh Norman has nothing to do with Kawann Short. But get ready for the narrative, because it's an easy one to manufacture.

Between now and when the Panthers eventually sign Short to a long-term deal, you'll read and hear plenty about Norman and the money he's now not making in Carolina. But the only true tie between the two will be which tax bracket they eventually fall in.

When this offseason began, most non-Super Bowl press conference headlines involving the Panthers centered on Norman. Much of it wasn't really news if you were following closely. He was going to get tagged. The Panthers weren't going to meet his contract demands. He'd eventually sign his tender and show up for training camp.

About that ... 

When the Panthers made the most shocking move of the NFL's offseason, it opened them up to all sorts of questions. One of their answers for rescinding the franchise tag certainly made sense. They can now use the $13.95 million they would've given Norman on other guys.

As tremendous as he was the past season and a half, Norman wasn't part of the Panthers' core. Short is. That's why Panthers made him priority No. 1 months before they took back Norman's tag. While Norman got the outside attention, the focus inside the building was signing Short to a long-term deal.

As evidenced by last year's post-June 1 extension spree featuring Cam Newton, Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly, these things tend to happen in the summer. With the draft over, now's a good time for teams and agents to continue chats they started at February's combine. So Ian Rapoport's Monday report, that things are back underway between Short's side and the Panthers, is part of the process.

But it's not connected to Norman.

If and when Short gets his extension, it won't be because the Panthers suddenly found a chunk of change in the couch cushions. Whether they were $17 million under the cap, like they were a few weeks ago, or $31 million under, like they are today, the plan has been to get Short's deal done.

With Short likely to get at least $15 million a season, what the money previously earmarked for Norman really does is create opportunities for others.

The Panthers already picked up the fifth-year option for defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, but they're more willing to do a long-term deal than many assume.

Linebacker A.J. Klein isn't a core guy, but he's someone they'd like to keep around past his upcoming contract season.

The Norman move did create financial flexibility. But the finances needed to sign Short long-term were planned long before the bombshell dropped.