Philadelphia Eagles should stay clear of Josh Norman

The Philadelphia Eagles are often rumored to be in the hunt for every free agent that becomes available, but they must stay clear of Josh Norman.

Well, you’ve all heard the news by now. On Valentine’s Day, in a move that wasn’t surprising, the Washington Redskins cleared a lot of cap space for themselves by saying goodbye to Josh Norman. Now, if you’re a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, you’ve been down the free-agency corridor and its subsequent rumor mill a time or two. It’s the same old scenario whenever big-name free agents hit the market.

Guys are released. They’re in some way tied to the ‘Birds’, especially if they play a position that fills a need the team has. Fans then argue with one another about whether it’s a good or bad idea. ‘Howie Season’ hashtags pop up in a few timelines, and Eagles vice president and general manager Howie Roseman normally declines to pull the trigger, leading to erroneous and overused statements like ‘He’s an idiot’.

Well, here we go again (maybe). One of the most outspoken corners in the game just hit the market, but this time, it’s different. There are no tweets with that familiar hashtag. Eagles Nation is silent. There’s no buzz around Norman potentially joining Philly’s roster, and that’s very good news if you’re a ‘Birds’ fan.

The rest of the NFL world is finally beginning to realize what ITI has told you for a while. Josh Norman is and was overrated, and just having a slight thought of adding him to Philly’s nest would be a gross error in judgment.

Now, in a world where Instagram, Snapchat, and Fantasy football rule, it’s easy to be fooled. Sports fans miss a lot of games and instead watch highlights and YouTube hype videos. Norman gives you plenty of both. He picks off passes and occasionally forces a fumble. Sometimes, he does so in big moments, and he has a Muhammad Ali quality to him. He’s loud. He’s brash, and he has no problem telling you how great he is.

Unfortunately for Josh Norman, the work ethic and talent that would be seen as Ali-esque didn’t come along with all of the banter.

Much of the legend that surrounds Norman was created by Norman himself. He talks a good game, but he’s made a career and a fortune on one great season with the Carolina Panthers, who just so happened to be in the midst of a Super Bowl push at the time. Before that, he didn’t do much, and he hasn’t done much since.

In 2013, he couldn’t beat out Captain Munnerlyn, Josh Thomas, Melvin White, and Drayton Florence for playing time. He was benched for most of that season and designated as a healthy scratch to close the campaign. Even after his standout season in 2015-2016, Carolina saw fit to let him go. Washington saw fit to sign him to a five-year, $75 million deal, and here we are four years later. He won’t even play the fifth year of that deal, and all the Redskins have to show for his time in D.C. is a 25-38-1 record, no playoff appearances and more regret than satisfaction.

When we as Eagles fans last saw him, Greg Ward was catching his first career touchdown pass on him, one that was a game-winner. Sure, some of you who are reading this are Norman fans, and this will make you angry. Yes, Philly does indeed need help at cornerback, but let’s just pass on this one, shall we? There are much better options out there who won’t make your head hurt in the post-game interview. This is an idea that shouldn’t be discussed by anyone, and you should dismiss the idea immediately if it somehow creeps into your subconscious.