The Carolina Panthers chose to not tag guard Andrew Norwell and let him leave in free agency. On Tuesday morning he found his new NFL home when he and the Jaguars agreed to a five-year, $66.5 million deal, including $30 million guaranteed. That makes him the highest paid guard in the NFL, according to Adam Schefter.
What Andrew Norwell signing with the Jaguars means for the OL free agent market
Andrew Norwell was by far the best option in a thin class of free agent offensive linemen.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Norwell, 26, proved in 2017 that he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL.
Norwell made the team in 2014 as an undrafted free agent and became a starter early in his rookie season. He was a full-time starter in 2015 and 2016, but earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career in 2017.
What does Norwell bring to the Jaguars?
The Jaguars already had a pretty effective running game last season. It should be an even more effective part of their game plan with Norwell in the fold. He’s an especially effective pass blocker. According to Pro Football Focus, Norwell didn’t allow a single sack last season and was their top-graded pass blocker among guards.
Building the lines has been an effective strategy for the Panthers, and a necessary one to protect and complement the unique skills of quarterback Cam Newton. That’s exactly what Norwell has done.
Newton broke the record for career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback early in the 2016 season and has continued to be an elite threat running the ball. In 2017, he rushed for a career-best and team-leading 754 yards with six touchdowns.
That results in a lot of punishment for the 6’6, 260-pound quarterback. Building an offensive line with players as good as Norwell has helped keep Newton upright as a passer and bolsters a rushing attack that finished the season No. 4 in rushing yards thanks largely to the star quarterback.
Norwell was a free agent priority for the Giants this spring. That Tom Coughlin was able to swoop in and steal him away from his old team has to make it that much sweeter for the Jags.
Norwell’s a great signing, and leaves other teams out of luck
There’s no shortage of NFL teams that could use a boost along the offensive line. Not many could afford to pay Norwell, but his signing hurts every team in the market for interior linemen in two ways:
- It removes the best guard on the market.
- The price tag for every other guard just went up.
With Norwell now locked down, the next best guards are likely Brandon Fusco of the 49ers, Josh Kline of the Titans, and Joe Berger of the Vikings. Those three finished No. 21, 22, and 23 in Pro Football Focus’ ranking of guards in 2017 — far behind Norwell, who was No. 3.
The lack of starting options on the market will likely mean the players at the top of the thin crop of free agent linemen will get overpaid by teams anxious to add help up front.
It’s not a great time to be on the hunt for an interior offensive lineman, but the Jags don’t have to worry about that for now.
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