Transitioning from Washington to the Philadelphia Eagles has been a theme over the last few seasons. DeSean Jackson returned to the Eagles once his three-year deal was up with the Redskins. Zach Brown also signed in Philly once the Redskins let him go. Could Josh Norman be next?
Norman started eight games for the Redskins in 2019. It was clear that the Redskins were going to cut him when he was benched in the middle of the season. In 2016, Norman signed a five-year, $75 million deal with the Redskins. His production decreased in every season of that contract. Norman went from a top-tier corner to a complete liability in four years. He was set to make $12.5 million in 2020 and the Redskins will receive just a $3 million cap hit.
At 32 years old, Norman is approaching the final years of his career and is free to sign with any team in the league. One team that desperately needs help in the secondary is the Eagles.
Could Norman Stay in the NFC East?
The Eagles miraculously won the NFC East in 2019 with a 9-7 record. They had the luxury of hosting a playoff game but it was against the Seattle Seahawks. Philadelphia came into that game decimated in the secondary and Carson Wentz was knocked out of the game in the first quarter.
Even at full strength, the Eagles' group of cornerbacks was very bad. Avonte Maddox and Ronald Darby were borderline liabilities. Cre'Von LeBlanc has shown potential at corner but the Eagles need depth and experience. Norman would bring both along with leadership in the locker room.
Byron Jones is the biggest free agent name at cornerback this offseason followed by Bashaud Breeland. There is a few intriguing names and Norman is one of them. It is likely that the Dallas Cowboys will not re-sign Jones so maybe they will be in the market for Norman. Unless the Eagles are willing to break the bank on a big name free agent, they must add depth at a cheap price. Norman will not come with a high price tag given his production over the last two years and his age.
This is a perfect opportunity to squeeze any remaining productivity out of a one time All-Pro player. It also helps that he would be staying in division and playing for a rival of the Redskins. Players seem to feed off going against their former teams and Norman would do it twice a year. This is an interesting move and one that the Eagles should look into.
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