Going into training camp, Breshad Perriman was on the roster bubble. He’s made the preseason interesting.
Things haven’t gone Breshad Perriman’s way since he entered the NFL. The Ravens drafted him 27th overall in 2015 and so far he has only 43 NFL receptions. Perriman is coming off a horrible season in which he only had 10 grabs and the Ravens were better when he wasn’t on the field. Going into his fourth season with the Ravens, it seemed like he was doomed to get cut.
One benefit of being on the roster bubble, is that you get chances to prove yourself in games that don’t count. Perriman leads the Ravens in receiving after two preseason games. He has caught five passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Other than one dropped pass that was picked off, Perriman has looked good over the preseason. Now the Ravens have to make a decision with Perriman and it isn’t as automatic as it was. It’s still not a hard decision.
The problem with keeping Perriman is you have to trust him to make plays. Trust and Perriman are words the Ravens should have a hard time stringing together. After he missed his rookie season the Ravens gave him a chance to contribute to the offense in 2016. He caught 33 passes and made some flashy plays. Perriman followed it up with a case of the drops and he gave an excuse for the Ravens not to have their former 1st round pick on the field.
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It didn’t even take Perriman one drive before he messed up this preseason. Perriman had a good pass hit him in the hands, and it popped up into the air. Call it nerves, call it whatever you like, that has become typical Perriman. You never know if he is going to come up with the football. While Perriman should be given credit for rebounding this preseason, that drop was a red flag.
One problem with the preseason is that even with a lot of opportunities Perriman has gotten, he’ll never get to ease the Ravens’ rightful concerns. Perriman needs to prove that he can consistently be called upon to make plays. He needs to make catching the ball routine.
The biggest case against keeping Perriman is roster math. Perriman isn’t going to be a main weapon of the offense, he doesn’t chip in on special teams and he’s had his chance. The Ravens can’t say goodbye to a player like Jordan Lasley, or Tim White because they want their 2015 first round pick to work out. The Ravens have players who can be a deep threat. They don’t need Perriman and they can’t rely upon him either.
Perriman has gotten the chance he deserves. It’s time for the Ravens to focus on other wide receivers. It’s hard to call a player like Perriman out on mental fortitude. He’s been a great teammate, said all the right things and handled himself well through a lot of disappointment. We’ve been saying all of this for a while however. He has the physical tools but he struggles with confidence. He had potential but the Ravens can’t sit here waiting for it to pan out.