Possible landing spots for Josh Norman
— -- In a surprise move, the Carolina Panthers rescinded their franchise tag offer to Josh Norman on Wednesday. Our NFL Nation reporters run through the teams that could have interest now that the shutdown CB is on the open market.
Chicago Bears
At the very least, the Bears have to investigate. Norman is simply too good to ignore. A need exists at cornerback, even after the Bears re-signed veteran Tracy Porter in the offseason. Now, general manager Ryan Pace has been patient and methodical during Chicago's rebuilding process, but doesn't a team save its money for situations like this? The Bears might not sign Norman, but they'd be silly not to seriously look into the matter. -- Jeff Dickerson
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have a major cornerback need, but they might not be willing to give out the type of money Norman wants, which is believed to be $16 million per season. The last time they got in the game for a big-money corner was in 2012 when they signed Brandon Carr to a $10 million a year deal. That hasn't worked out as planned, and Carr is not guaranteed of a job in Dallas in 2016. Norman, however, has a better resume than Carr had in 2012. So while the Cowboys can create the salary-cap room necessary to sign the Pro Bowl corner if they want to, their previous experiences could dissuade them from doing so. The Cowboys have kept their powder dry in free agency, as Jerry Jones likes to say. Norman could go a long way to helping that defense, but it would take away funds in the future with the contracts of Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and others. -- Todd Archer
Detroit Lions
While a lot of the focus with the Lions' secondary has been on a potential extension for Darius Slay, Josh Norman becoming a free agent could change things. Norman's shutdown style would fit well with Teryl Austin's aggressive defensive scheme and instantly give Detroit one of the best corner tandems in the league for 2016. Detroit could afford Norman on paper, with more than $23 million in cap space, provided the team eventually releases Stephen Tulloch. But one item would factor into the decision making: Slay is due for a contract extension at the end of the season and is likely to command major money. Affording both players would be tough. -- Michael Rothstein
Jacksonville Jaguars
Even after giving out $74.4 million in guaranteed money since March 9, the Jaguars still have the most cap space available ($53.66 million). So they could easily fit Norman into the cap even at the rumored number of $16 million annually. Norman is an elite corner and would pair well with free safety Tashaun Gipson. The duo would give the Jaguars a young, ball-hawking nucleus for years to come. It also would allow the Jaguars to concentrate on taking a pass rusher in the first round of next week's draft instead of potentially going with Jalen Ramsey if he were available at No. 5. GM Dave Caldwell will certainly send out a feeler. -- Mike DiRocco
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are in search of a starting cornerback opposite Byron Maxwell. Norman would be an excellent pickup in the No. 1 corner role, which would allow Maxwell to play in a more natural role as Miami's No. 2 CB. The Dolphins should have interest, but, as usual, money is a question mark. The Dolphins have about $19.5 million of cap room left for 2016, according to the latest NFLPA figures. They still need to sign an entire rookie class, and Norman will seek top dollar. -- James Walker
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders addressed their cornerback needs by signing Sean Smith this offseason and they still have David Amerson and former first-round pick D.J. Hayden waiting in the wings. But adding the swagger, intensity and ball-hawk skillset of Norman -- who had four interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns last season for the NFC champion Panthers -- would be a classic Raiders move in the mold of pairing Lester Hayes with Mike Haynes. Even if Oakland has only $11.8 million left in salary cap space, they should explore Norman's interest in joining forces with Smith in the secondary. -- Paul Gutierrez
San Francisco 49ers
Norman might not have had all that memorable of a game the last time he stepped foot in Levi's Stadium -- the Super Bowl 50 loss to the Broncos -- but he is intrigued by playing in California and, well, the Niners still have more than $53 milling in cap space. Norman, who was a first-team All-Pro in 2015, would solidify a young Niners cornerback corps and give the 49ers a free-agent signing of note this offseason. Finally. -- Paul Gutierrez
Tennessee Titans
The Titans need a top-flight cornerback who can make plays on the ball. They also have cap space. The question is if GM Jon Robinson would make another bold move after trading the No. 1 pick last week. The Titans are loaded with draft assets this year and next, and want to build their team that way. -- Paul Kuharsky
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