Josh Norman: The Panthers' defense did not make me the player I am

After the Panthers rescinded his franchise tag, Norman bolted for Washington and a huge contract

Josh Norman, arguably the best corner in the game last season, was shockingly given clearance to walk away from Carolina this offseason. Despite drafting and developing Norman into a shutdown corner, the Panthers rescinded their franchise tag just over a week before the draft.

And that right there shows what the Panthers think of Norman. Rather, it shows what they think about the rest of their defense. And now the question remains: Is Norman just a product of a good defense?

Norman, who snagged a mega contract from Washington, resisted that notion.

"Those guys are great, man; they are a great pass rush," he said, per ESPN. "Who's going to say they're not? You got Star [Lotulelei], [Kawann Short]. ... My goodness, those interior guys, I love them. They're my guys. Charles [Johnson] and Kony [Ealy]. But I'm in Washington, D.C., with the Redskins, and we have good pass-rushers on the edge. Look at [Ryan] Kerrigan. We're going to get big Junior Galette back. Those are motors on the edge. Big-time motors.

"I'm so excited to be here. It's not that I came from a great defensive line that made me who I am. I am because I'm the guy you see on the field every week trying to be the best and better in my craft, and I got edge rushers like that out here. We'll see."

Josh Norman refuted the idea that he was great because Carolina's defense was great. USATSI

The Redskins better hope he's right, because they're paying him quite a lot of money -- $50 million guaranteed, to be specific. In Washington, Norman will join the 28th-ranked defense in terms of yardage. A year ago, he played on the sixth-ranked defense -- a unit that included the best middle linebacker in the game in Luke Kuechly and the linemen he mentioned above.

It's worth noting that much of the Panthers' success stemmed from turnovers. They led the league with 39 takeaways. And Norman played a vital role in that effort by picking off four passes, forcing three fumbles, and recovering two loose balls.

There's no doubt that the Panthers' defense is better than Washington's. And there's no doubt that a cornerback's success is tied to the talent level of the players in front of him. But expecting Norman to fall off a cliff now that he's in Washington isn't realistic. Whether Norman will live up to his contract, though, is an entirely different question. Norman is already 28 and has just one elite season on his resume.

And remember: Two matchups with Odell Beckham Jr. await Norman for the next several seasons.