Two former Panthers players are making headlines today. First, former tight end Greg Olsen has wrapped up his free agent visits with the Bills, Seahawks and Redskins. According to Adam Schefter at ESPN, he is now negotiating with all three teams.
Schefter previously reported that Olsen is expected to make a decision by the end of this week.
Seattle, Buffalo and Washington could all use help at tight end. Only the Bills and the Seahawks have a realistic chance to get Olsen back to the playoffs, though. Ron Rivera’s Redskins currently have the worst odds of any team to win the Super Bowl next season.
Speaking of Washington, former Carolina cornerback Josh Norman is being released, per Mike Garafolo at NFL Network.
Norman signed with Washington in 2016 after he had his franchise tag rescinded by former general manager Dave Gettleman.
While it was handled poorly, Gettleman’s instinct not to pay Norman a massive contract turned out to be the right one. Norman had a strong first season in D.C. but he produced diminishing returns after that and eventually his five-year, $75 million deal became burdensome.
While the Panthers could certainly use more help at cornerback, Norman is probably too far past his prime to make a real impact for Carolina. He’s now 32 years old and the franchise is moving in a younger direction. There’s something to be said for a change of scenery, but renaissances like the one Ryan Tannehill had this year with the Titans are extremely rare.
It doesn’t make much sense to bring Norman back at this time.
