Getty Former Baltimore Ravens Breshad Perriman and Joe Flacco celebrate a touchdown in 2016.
Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman has cleared waivers and is planning to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Perriman played in 2019, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
After spending the preseason with the Detroit Lions, Perriman was cut and later signed with the Chicago Bears, who waived him on Sunday, according to the NFL’s official transaction report.
Greg Auman of The Athletic reported earlier today that the Buccaneers “are in the process of signing Breshad Perriman to their practice squad, but he needs to pass a physical first, so nothing has been signed yet.”
However, Schefter added that the Buccaneers “anticipate [Perriman] being activated in near future,” as Tampa Bay is dealing with injuries to wide receivers Antonio Brown and Scotty Miller.
Perriman played in 14 games for the Buccaneers in 2019, including four starts, so he knows the offensive system employed by head coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. He only caught 36 of his 69 targets, but averaged 17.9 yards per reception on his way to 645 receiving yards and six touchdowns on the year.
@AdamSchefter The last 3 games for Breshad Perriman with the #Bucs in 2019:
5 catches 113 yards, 3 TDs.
7 catches, 102 yards, 0 TDs.
5 catches, 134 yards, 1 TD.
While Perriman only has five days until the Buccaneers’ Week 10 matchup with the Washington Football Team (another of his former teams), his familiarity with Tampa Bay’s offense as well as the team’s need for wide receiver depth makes him a likely elevation candidate for Sunday.
Bust in Baltimore
Perriman was taken by the Ravens with the 26th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but did not play in a single game his rookie season due to injury.
He was able to stay healthy enough to play in 16 games in 2016, recording 499 yards and three touchdowns, but failed to live up to his draft day expectations. Despite seeing the field for over half of the Ravens’ offensive snaps in 2017, Perriman only recorded 10 catches for 77 yards, earning an abysmal 43.4 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.
Perriman was cut by the Ravens during final roster cuts ahead of the 2018 regular season and left Baltimore as a clear first-round bust, but has since developed into a serviceable deep threat with three seasons averaging over 16 yards per reception.
He eventually signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2018, with whom he averaged over 21 yards per reception, earning him a shot in Tampa Bay the following season. He spent the 2020 season with the New York Jets, starting 12 games and tallying 505 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 30 catches.
Notably, he connected with fellow ex-Raven Joe Flacco, who returned to the Jets in October, for a deep touchdown that harkened back to the pair’s days in Baltimore.
Joe Flacco to Breshad Perriman for 50 yards. Just a couple former Ravens connecting deep. #elite
Ravens Finding Success With Young WRs
The Ravens have done a considerably better job drafting wide receivers, especially in the first round, since Perriman’s departure from Baltimore. In the last three drafts, the Ravens have selected Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, James Proche, Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace.
Brown, a 2019 first-round pick, has developed into a top-tier NFL wideout this season, with the sixth-most receiving yards in the league. Bateman, the 27th overall selection in this year’s draft, struggled with a groin injury in the preseason but has dazzled in his first three NFL games, making several tough catches while averaging over 50 yards per game.
2020 third- and sixth-round picks Devin Duvernay and James Proche have both developed into rotational contributor’s to Baltimore’s offense. While Proche drew rave reviews in training camp and turned in a stellar performance against the Denver Broncos in Week 4, Duvernay has emerged as the more consistent receiver, with a few highlight touchdown catches this season.
With the jury still out on fourth-round rookie Tylan Wallace due to lack of playing time, Boykin is the only player who could be considered a disappointment. He’s still one of the best run-blocking wide receivers in the NFL, playing a key role in the Ravens’ offense last season, but the Notre Dame product has failed to otherwise translate his freakish physical gifts into NFL production.