Josh Norman’s career as a Redskin hasn’t even started yet, and already it seems like the cornerback is struggling.
At Washington’s practice over the weekend, Norman got torched by two of his teammates. Some surprising footage emerged from Redskins camp showing receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon beating the former Carolina Panthers cornerback one-on-one, and some fans are already questioning Norman’s huge deal.
Norman, 28, was released by the Panthers in April, making him a free agent shortly before the 2016 NFL Draft. Washington then made him the highest-paid cornerback in the league with a five-year, $75 million contract, and he has remained in the news in recent months, still exchanging shots with Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., following a helmet-to-helmet collision between the two that occurred last season.
Norman took the time to praise Jackson for his speed. “He’s elite. His speed is elite,” Norman said. “He’s like Flash out there. I mean, his elusiveness is just off the charts.”
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Redskins fans will undoubtedly be divided on their levels of concern for the addition of Norman after seeing these videos. Some will wonder why the team spent a fortune to land him in free agency after Carolina dropped his franchise tag, fearing how he may fare against top receivers in the NFC East like Beckham and the Dallas Cowboys’ Dez Bryant, as well as several other league receivers.
Some fans immediately began expressing this concern on Twitter:
Others, however, may probably simply say, “These are just two isolated incidents of bad one-on-one drills in practice,” and know that Jackson and Garcon aren’t exactly the worst receivers on the team or in the NFL.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson also dismissed the fact that Norman was rated the No. 1 cornerback in the latest version of EA Sports’ “Madden” video game series as a joke. Peterson is the fourth-highest-rated corner in the game.
One can only assume that time will tell just how prepared Norman is for the upcoming season.
“I’m not going to make every single play,” the cornerback said. “But the ones I do make, and when I do get beat, it’s how you come back from that.”
SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: Josh Norman #24 of the Carolina Panthers looks on during Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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