The Carolina Panthers are heading to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Redskins and the not so welcoming arms of Josh Norman.
2016 has been a tumultuous season for the Carolina Panthers. Their 5-8 record has the team sitting in the third position in the NFC South, but well out of conversation for playoff contention. There are a number of reasons as to why the Panthers went from 15-1 to 5-8, but only one will come to the forefront heading into Week 15. Josh Norman will be the central figure, as he often has been this season, with the Panthers heading to Washington to face their former teammate.
General manager Dave Gettleman and the Panthers took a major risk when they allowed Norman to walk into free agency during the offseason. The team couldn’t come to an agreement around his value and he took his talents to the Redskins who were willing to hit that number. This came after Norman pushed his name into consideration as the best cover cornerback in the league.
Even though his numbers don’t leap off the page, he’s played well this season for his new employers. That storyline leads the way as both teams head into the game set for Monday Night Football in Week 15.
Experts are going to ask whether or not the Panthers made a mistake in allowing Norman to walk. The leadership took to the draft to try to fill the vacancy and, while James Bradberry has emerged as a solid player, he has yet to develop into a potential replacement. This is a heavy burden for a rookie, but Bradberry truly has the opportunity to develop into a special player, just as Norman did in his tenure with the Panthers.
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However, the fact remains that this Carolina secondary has struggled due to the loss of both Norman and Charles Tillman. This situation is so perplexing that ESPN ran a poll asking fans where this ranks among all “bad” decisions by the Panthers’ front office.
The Panthers defense ranks 30th in passing defense on the year. Last season, this team was ranked 11th in the same category. The defense as a whole has struggled, but the decline of the passing defense has been drastic. Going into the offseason, the entire defensive backfield could be retooled. Only Kurt Coleman stands out as a player worth keeping as he consistently players to a high level.
The players in Carolina’s defensive backfield under Ron Rivera are usually considered “replaceable” as they are thought to be pieces within a “system.” The fallout of losing Josh Norman refutes this claim in a way that the Panthers are suffering for and will have a hard time fixing in the immediate future.
Bad decisions happen frequently in the NFL and throughout any professional sports league. Questionable trades are made and ludicrous contracts are signed each season.
However, teams tend to find a way to rebuild after that mistake and the Carolina Panthers will do the same without Josh Norman. Finding a player or players that can help fill this void is a major concern that deserves additional attention during the postseason, along with a host of other problems currently plaguing the defending NFC Champions.
