Bills strike gold with veteran CB Josh Norman

Josh Norman has been an underdog his entire career. I worked with Josh when he left Coastal Carolina and he was an underdog even before I met him.

Josh Norman was a walk-on at Coastal Carolina. He walked on because his older brother Marrio played for the Chanticleers. He did not have the easiest path to the NFL, and we have watched his story unfold before our eyes, but today he added a new chapter to his life.

I had to pound the table so hard to get Josh Norman in the East/West Shrine Game, and I am happy I did. He shined enough to get a call from the Senior Bowl. Norman has become a friend of mine and a loyal person to our site at NFL Draft Diamonds.

Norman wanted to be a 2nd round draft pick and that did not happen. He used it though as a chip on his shoulder and did everything possible to prove he was the best corner in the league.

I am not going to sit here and blow him up because I am bias, but let’s talk about facts on why it is a good deal.

Norman signed a one year deal worth 6 million dollars and can earn up to 8 million. This is a team friendly deal. I know many Bills fans are complaining about the price, but when you look around the league it is a very fair contract.

Darryl Roberts of the New York Jets, Brandon Carr of the Baltimore Ravens and Jonathan Joseph of the Houston Texans are all scheduled to make 6 million dollars this year. There are more than 20 cornerbacks in the NFL that will make more than Norman this year, and to be honest, Norman will play with the best secondary he has ever had. Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White and Josh Norman is a lethal secondary.

The Bills have a solid pass rush but this helps them out quite a bit and will help the young guys like Ed Oliver up front if they can cover a player a little longer than normal.

Norman has not played well the last two years, he was even benched and made inactive, but the 32 year old corner has always been confident in his abilities. He bet on himself when leaving the Panthers and he landed everything he wanted in his contract. He was a stud for the Redskins as well, but the last two years he did decline a little. The thing is that secondary rotated left and right and was rough.

The Bills will not need Norman to cover the number 1 wide out. They have a younger Tre’Davious White to do that. They have one of the best safety tandems in the NFL with Poyer and Hyde which will help Norman over the top on deep routes. Norman will shine in Buffalo and I while fans are complaining now, they will become homers like me.

When it comes to off the the field, Norman is a class act. He has built a gym for Coastal Carolina for their athletics department, he has donated thousands of dollars to outside charities and even runs a celebrity basketball game annual to raise money. Norman is a class act off the field and he fits the character that the Bills look for. Trust Sean McDermott on this one, especially when you look at Josh Norman’s best years in the Carolina defense, guess who his coach was…..