The Carolina Panthers have pulled the franchise tag off cornerback Josh Norman, which means he's now a free agent. According to Pro Football Talk, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said that a long-term agreement with Norman was "unattainable", which is why they let him go.
Context from Panthers source: Panthers didn’t think looming distraction of an inevitable holdout was worth the one-year, $14 million lease.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) April 20, 2016
This is quite the stunning move, as Norman was one of the very best cornerbacks in the NFL last season and a key player for Carolina's Super Bowl defense.