In just two days, Josh Norman went from the outhouse to the penthouse.

The Carolina Panthers determined on Wednesday that they wanted nothing to do with the All-Pro cornerback and rescinded the franchise tag, making Norman an immediate unrestricted free agent.

On Friday, Norman received royal treatment with family members in Washington, D.C. The Redskins showed him a great time and never let him leave town as Norman signed an enormous deal worth $75 million over five years.

So how did it come to this just a week before the NFL draft?

The practice by the Panthers wasn't normal. Norman and his four interceptions, three forced fumbles and 56 tackles last season were huge reasons for Carolina reaching the Super Bowl, but the front office in Charlotte determined it wasn't going to get a long-term deal done with Norman, so instead of paying the former fifth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina for just one season, general manager Dave Gettleman opted to greatly enhance the Panthers' salary cap room by letting Norman walk out the door.

"This was a business decision," Gettleman said at a recent pre-draft news conference. "That's what this is folks, a business decision."

On the surface, it seems strange. Why, when you've built a team good enough to win an NFC title, would you let a key piece go, and one that could help get the Panthers back to postseason?

If it feels like something the New England Patriots would do, it's because it is. Considered one of the benchmark franchises in the NFL when it comes to business and success, the Pats have long believed in not overspending on a player who would be far past their prime or usefulness by the end of a long contract, so they frequently make moves like this.

The Panthers aren't quite the New England of the NFC in terms of titles, but they are a franchise that's been doing a lot of right things in terms of building through the draft, and picking and choosing who's worth paying mega bucks to when the time comes.

Norman, a four-year veteran, would've made just under $14 million if he had signed his franchise tender, but he didn't because he wanted a huge deal, and he reportedly wasn't going to show up to camp this summer to broker a new contract. No matter what the Panthers say, it's hard to believe they wanted anything to do with that.

Norman served a purpose in Carolina and excels in zone coverage, but he's now being paid like an elite lockdown corner. He'll make more in 2016 than Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets, Patrick Peterson of the Cardinals and Richard Sherman of the Seahawks.

And the real kicker is Washington is shelling out $51 million in guaranteed money. For a franchise that just a couple years ago had all sorts of cap issues, thanks to too many overinflated salaries, this is a risky move, and it means somebody the Redskins drafted probably won't be getting paid down the road in D.C.

This might not be a popular move in Charlotte once the season starts and Carolina looks like a team missing a Pro Bowl corner, but it was the right move long term. And Gettleman has assembled a franchise that can afford to do that and not live year to year.

The Panthers could end up with a solid replacement, and who can blame them for passing on the kind of contract Washington gave Norman?

Yes, the Redskins made the playoffs last year (pretty much by default in a bad NFC East), but which franchise has had more recent success on and off the field?