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Kuechly insists Panthers' defense will be fine without Norman

Grant Halverson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Few teams would be well-equipped to lose an All-Pro cornerback, but Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly insists his team will be okay without Josh Norman.

Norman and the Panthers tried to reach a long-term extension ahead of the 2016 season, with the club placing its franchise tag on him. However, Norman balked at the tender and the Panthers rescinded the tag on April 20. Norman then signed a five-year, $75-million contract with the Washington Redskins on April 22, making him the highest-paid cornerback in league history.

Kuechly spoke about his former teammate's departure and praised the Panthers for their veteran leadership on defense.

"When you lose a guy like Josh, obviously, he's entertainment, energy, attitude, but that's kind of been the attitude of our defense," Kuechly said to NFL Network's Tiffany Blackmon. "You know, you still have Thomas (Davis) and Charles (Tillman) and Kurt Coleman bring an edge and we've got a bunch of guys that still bring that attitude, enthusiasm.

"We've got older guys that when the young guys come in and they can kind of teach them what the mentality's like and get them on the same page. And we got three young corners that are working extremely hard, learning a lot and I think they'll be good for us."

Coming off a 15-1 season and a Super Bowl appearance, Kuechly has every reason to be confident about his squad. The Panthers are gearing up for another Super Bowl run, and time will only tell whether they lament Norman's exit.

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