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The Panthers’ unexpected decision to rescind cornerback Josh Norman’s franchise tag opened the door for Norman to sign a multi-year deal with the Redskins.

It also opened the door for some to opine that Norman’s rise to fame in the Carolina secondary had a lot to do with the quality of the entire Panthers defense. That argument holds that the Panthers’ front seven made Norman’s life easier and that it may be foolish to expect the same level of play with different teammates in a different scheme.

Norman is not one of the subscribers to that theory. While he has nothing but good things to say about the players he worked with in Carolina, he said that the work he’s put in over the years is the reason for his success while adding that he feels like he’ll still have plenty of help on the Redskins defense.

“Those guys are great man, they are a great pass rush,” Norman said, via ESPN.com. “Who’s going to say they’re not? You got Star [Lotulelei], KK [Kawann Short]. My goodness, those interior guys I love them. My goodness, those interior guys I love them. They’re my guys. Charles [Johnson] and Kony [Ealy]. But I’m in Washington, D.C. with the Redskins, and so do we have good pass-rushers on the edge. Look at [Ryan] Kerrigan. We’re going to get big Junior Galette back. Those are motors on the edge. Big time motors. I’m so excited to be here. It’s not that I came from a great defensive line that made me who I am. I am because I’m the guy you see on the field every week trying to be the best and better in my craft, and I got edge rushers like that out here. We’ll see.”

The Redskins’ five-year deal with Norman makes it clear that they don’t believe his success was a product of playing with the Panthers and we’re a few months away from seeing how one of the biggest moves of the offseason plays out in Washington.