A storm has taken over the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line.
Storm Norton, that is.
The Saints officially signed the offensive tackle to a one-year deal, executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis announced Tuesday. Norton enters his fifth year in the league with his third team. He joins New Orleans with a history that proves his ability to play on the left and right side of the line.
“At this point in my career, the experience part comes into it,” Norton said. “You’re never gonna have too much depth on the offensive line. We play a real physical game up front, and we lay our bodies on the line. Being able to play both tackles I think is really valuable in this league.”
Norton entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo in 2018. The Minnesota Vikings were the first organization to sign him. And as a rookie, Norton appeared in just one game.
Come 2020, the Los Angeles Chargers picked up Norton. That’s where he remained for the next three seasons, including last. He played in 36 of a possible 50 games, starting 18.
Norton saw the most field time in 2021, starting in 15 of his complete 17 appearances. That season, the Chargers had the fourth-best offense when it came to total yards and fifth best in scoring.
“Really, just as an offensive lineman, you just kind of do whatever it takes to help the team and make us be successful,” Norton said. “You’re going to get a hard worker and person who really takes pride in his game and doing whatever it takes for the team.”
The Saints were the first team to reach out to Norton and his agent after it was clear the Chargers were not going to re-sign him for 2023.
Norton actually was teammates with former Saints offensive lineman Will Clapp last season. Clapp was in New Orleans from 2018-21 before moving to Los Angeles.
“(Clapp) kind of give me the lowdown on the area and kind of what to expect,” Norton said. “He only had great things to say about the organization, so that really kind of fires me up: being a part of an organization who really thinks about the players and takes care of us.”
Norton, who is 6-foot-7 and 317 pounds, is currently 28 years old but will be 29 by the time training camp starts up in the summer. He’s originally from Ohio.
That’s where his storm began brewing, too.
“We grew up in the Toledo area, so pretty close to Detroit,” Norton said. “My parents went to a Tigers game one day, and the pitcher happened to be named Storm Davis. I guess, at that moment, they kind of knew that’s what they were rolling with.”
Keep up with Nola.com‘s Saints free agency tracker here.
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