Washington Redskins: Josh Norman’s quietness was short-lived

Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman has been quiet since the end of the 2016 season. That all changed this week.

In each of the past two seasons, Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman is best remembered for his skirmishes with New York’s Odell Beckham Jr. and Dallas’ Dez Bryant. Norman likes to talk, and for opponents, he gets under their skin in a big way. It rattled Beckham in 2015, but Bryant did a good job of ignoring Norman in 2016.

So, what’s in store for 2017?

Well, according to Norman, in an excellent interview with Bleacher Report‘s Tyler Dunne, he is ready to let “all hell break loose.”

Uh oh. What exactly does this mean? Well, Norman considers himself an old-school gladiator, which is something of a dying breed in today’s NFL, per Dunne.

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"I’m the last of the Mohicans that’s standing, that is in that mindset. What makes or breaks me is how I feel about how I do things and how I go about life inside those white lines because I’m a lion. That’s why I’m so glad we got DJ (Swearinger) this year because he knows how we roll. When you have a guy like that who can back you up, man? It’s so good."

Washington fans may cringe at Norman’s words or antics, but it’s actually good for the league, and especially the NFC East. The division was built on strong rivalries and bad blood. In recent years, the division lacked that as rivalries either became one-sided or lacked star power. Not anymore.

In his interview, Norman again took shots at Beckham and Bryant, especially Bryant, calling him “just a guy.” He also warned that we should expect fights and fines in 2017. Sure, it makes Norman arguably the most hated player in the league by fans, but do you think he cares? He’s in this for the entertainment value.

Norman even offered the commissioner some tips on how he’d run the league.

For the Redskins, Norman’s words come at a good time. It gets all the talk away from Kirk Cousins’ contract and puts the focus and attention on Norman. And he’s okay with that. As for the 2017 season, Norman is already thinking about facing Beckham on Thanksgiving night in the nation’s capital.

"Yeah, and that game gets so hyped up by the time we play them, it won’t even be Giants vs. Washington — it’ll be me and him. You know what I’m saying? It’s like when it becomes bigger than the game. Because now you have us on Thanksgiving Night. C’mon, man."

Next: 2017 NFL Power Rankings: First-wave OTAs edition

Mark your calendars, Norman certainly already has.