The week before the draft – already an intriguing time for the Jaguars, who hold the fifth overall pick – became even more interesting Wednesday when the Carolina Panthers stunningly rescinded the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Jaguars are natural fit for Norman because they’re seeking a No. 1 cornerback and have the second-most available salary cap space in the NFL ($52.5 million).
The Jaguars could easily allocate the money they had ear-marked for free agent defensive end Olivier Vernon and construct a deal averaging $16-$18 million per year for Norman.