Clay: Without Norman, Panthers secondary instantly exploitable

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On Wednesday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers rescinded Josh Norman’s franchise tag. Seemingly out of nowhere, the standout cornerback is an unrestricted free agent and, by far, the top available player on the open market.

Although it may be a few days (or weeks) until Norman finds a home, his release certainly sends shockwaves through the fantasy football landscape, particularly when it comes to wide receivers in the NFC South.

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1 RelatedDuring a breakout 2015 season, Norman intercepted four passes, recorded 56 tackles and scored a pair of touchdowns. Per Pro Football Focus, Norman limited quarterbacks to a 54.0 rating when throwing his way, which was best at the position. Although Norman wasn’t in the spotlight prior to a few late-season hiccups against Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones, his strong overall campaign certainly puts him in the discussion as one of the game’s top corners.

Without Norman, the Panthers’ cornerback unit goes from one of the league’s most feared to one of the weakest. Bene Benwikere, who wasn’t particularly effective as Carolina’s primary slot corner prior to suffering a broken leg late last season, is now positioned as the team’s top corner. Behind him are …

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