Redskins sign Josh Norman to reported 5-year, $75M deal

Washington didn't let him leave the building.

On the very same day Josh Norman arrived for his first free-agent visit, the Redskins announced they'd officially signed the star cornerback Friday.

Terms of the contract weren't officially released, but it's a five-year deal worth $75 million and $50 million guaranteed, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Norman officially became a free agent when the Carolina Panthers made the shocking decision to rescind his franchise tag Wednesday, and the Redskins were immediately thought to be a favorite for his services.

While other teams were involved in the process, including a reported "strong push" from the New Orleans Saints, it evidently wasn't long before general manager Scot McCloughan was able to close the deal.

Norman earned himself a spot in the conversation about elite cornerbacks en route to first-team All-Pro honors in 2015. As was expected with multiple teams bidding for his services, he's now being paid accordingly.

Norman's reported annual average of $15 million exceeds that of Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson, and Richard Sherman, making him the single highest-paid cornerback in the NFL heading into 2016.

He represents a massive upgrade to an otherwise thin Redskins secondary, particularly in an NFC East where the defense is tasked with slowing down elite receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Dez Bryant.

An annual pair of head-to-head battles between Norman and Beckham will be of particular interest to the football world in years to come, as the two can now be considered bitter rivals following their explosive matchup late in 2015.