NFC Notes: Eagles, Norman, Panthers, Falcons

The latest from the NFC:

  • The Eagles can’t let impending free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan get away in the offseason, opines Paul Domowitch of Philly.com. Logan could land $10MM per year on his next contract, writes Domowitch, and an NFL executive told him the Eagles will have to make a sacrifice elsewhere on their roster to retain him. “It would be an unusual allocation of assets,” he said, alluding to the fact that the Eagles already have an expensive D-tackle in Fletcher Cox. “But you could sit down and make it work on paper if you really felt it was that important.” That could mean releasing stalwart left tackle Jason Peters, who’s eight years older than Logan (34 to 26). Cutting Peters would save Philadelphia $9.2MM in 2017, though it would subtract a highly valuable O-lineman from its roster at the same time. “It’s going to be more of a player personnel decision than a cap decision for them with Peters,” the executive said. “If they think somebody like (Halapoulivaati) Vaitai can be a solid right tackle, or they think they can get one without giving up too much, then maybe you flip (Lane) Johnson over to the left side and let Peters go.” Of course, the Eagles are already paying Johnson left tackle-type money on account of the extension he signed last January.
  • Speaking to Charlotte-based media earlier this week, Redskins cornerback Josh Norman revealed he was “salty” after the Panthers pulled the franchise tag off him last April and likened it to a stab in the back (via Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today). However, the 29-year-old added that feels “no animosity” toward the Panthers, with whom he spent the first four years of his career after they took him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. While Carolina was the reigning NFC champion at the time it cut ties with Norman, it’s now 5-8 and all but out of the playoff picture. The Redskins are very much alive at 7-5-1, on the other hand, and have gotten plenty of help from Norman – Pro Football Focus’ 19th-ranked corner – in the first season of his five-year, $75MM deal. The Panthers will try to spoil the postseason hopes of Norman and the Redskins when the clubs meet in Washington on Monday.
  • The Falcons will go without all-world wide receiver Julio Jones this Sunday against the 49ers because of a sprained toe, per Marc Sessler of NFL.com. Atlanta didn’t have Jones last week, either, but it still managed to beat the lowly Rams by four touchdowns. San Francisco has lost 12 in a row since a Week 1 win, so the Jones-less Falcons look poised to improve to 9-5 and remain atop the NFC South.
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