NFL general managers don't let their best cornerback walk away. They also don't cut the best player in franchise history when he still has some good years left.
If it wasn't clear already, Dave Gettleman isn't a typical NFL general manager.
Two springs after he shocked the fan base by releasing receiver Steve Smith, Gettleman dropped a bombshell on the league by rescinding the franchise tag he had placed on cornerback Josh Norman. The Panthers' top corner, who often took away a side of the field during Carolina's run to the Super Bowl, is now an unrestricted free agent.
Like the Smith move, this won't make much sense to many. But according to team and league sources, this is why it happened.
Norman made it clear over the past couple months that he wants to be paid like the top corner in the NFL. His side started negotiations asking for a contract worth $15-$16 million a year. The Panthers were willing to come up significantly from the $7 million they offered last summer, but they had a limit. They would've done $11-$12 million.
Norman wasn't budging. Neither was Gettleman. Even a deadline wouldn't help break the stalemate.
“After a number of conversations with Josh’s agent we realized that a long-term deal was not attainable,” Gettleman said in a statement.
“We thank Josh for all his contributions and truly wish him well.”
Norman had no plans to sign his franchise tender worth $14 million, so he wasn't going to be at offseason workouts. Eh. That's not too big of a deal. The problem was the Panthers were worried Norman would continue to sit through training camp.
Would he have eventually taken $14 million? Probably. But to the Panthers, the potential distraction wasn't worth the wait.
According to the NFLPA, the Panthers had $18.1 million in cap space before they rescinded Norman's tag. 18 + 14 = more flexibility to sign guys who truly want to be in Carolina.
The Panthers' top contract goal since the start of the offseason wasn't Norman. It's getting defensive tackle Kawann Short locked into a long-term deal. They want to do the same with Star Lotulelei.
Gettleman builds from the inside out, so cornerbacks aren't as valuable as big linemen and pass rushers. It's why Norman was never going to get paid like the best corner in the game in Carolina. Now he can try to get what he feels he's worth, and it only takes one team. Sitting $52 million below the cap, Jacksonville and San Francisco each have a ton of money to spend. Someone will sign Norman soon.
Of course, this leaves a major hole in the Panthers' secondary. Bené Benwikere, who was slotted to be the No. 2 corner, is coming off a broken leg. Brandon Boykin is a better idea in the slot than on the outside. The other corners on the roster: Robert McClain, Teddy Williams, Lou Young and Travell Dixon. It's not an inspiring group right now, but the Panthers can add to it through the draft and with whoever's still out there as a free agent.
Even then, the secondary could be suspect, but that's a risk Gettleman's willing to take. He'd rather spend his money elsewhere, at higher-priority positions and on players who won't bring drama into the locker room.