The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to various veteran receivers over the 2022 offseason, but the team has yet to add any new options.
Dallas initially signed James Washington when free agency began in the Spring, further adding to the WR group by selecting Jalen Tolbert in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. However, the departure of Amari Cooper still feels unfilled.
Names like Rich Eisen have linked the Cowboys to a star like Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf. However, another name is worth exploring as the world speculates on Dallas’ next move: Breshad Perriman.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver has proven he can be a useful weapon in the NFL during his time with the Bucs, the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets. At 29-years-old, Perriman still has vital years left in the league but also possesses the experience that the Cowboys are lacking in the WR department.
Perriman would be a solid addition, and it’s also not a bad time to look into the receiver: Dallas can “buy low” after a wayward 2021 season for Perriman.
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Perriman Excels with Buccaneers
Coming out of UCF for the 2015 NFL draft, Perriman drew the love of scouts and fans thanks to his explosiveness. NFL.com described him as “a legitimate big-play threat on every snap” and that led to the Baltimore Ravens drafting the 6’2″ receiver in the first round that year.
A cursory look at Perriman’s Pro-Football Reference page shows that he never quite reached the expectations of a first-round pick, but his production is still solid at the NFL level. Over the course of his career, the former UCF star has averaged 16.4 yards per catch and has three seasons with 499 receiving yards or more.
Where Perriman shines is in a contested pass scenario, where he can use his size and speed to outmuscle cornerbacks. He did that the best in 2019 and 2020, spent with the Buccaneers and Jets respectively.
He caught nine touchdowns over the course of those two seasons, bringing down 1150 receiving yards in the process.
In between his 2020 season with the Jets and his six games with Tampa Bay in 2021, Perriman actually signed and was cut by the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions, never playing a snap for either team. He re-joined the Buccaneers last November for the final six regular season games last season, catching 11 passes for 167 yards and a TD.
Cowboys Can Afford Perriman
The Cowboys may be avoiding a move for a major star like Metcalf due to salary cap concerns, and that’s why Perriman makes sense. As Spotrac shows, the Buccaneers elected to only bring Perriman back on another “prove-it” one-year contract that’s set to pay him $1.27 million in total.
Dallas has the cap space for that kind of contract, and they’d also likely be able to procure Perriman by sending future draft picks rather than anyone on the active roster. It’s not unreasonable to think that the Cowboys could land Perriman for a good Day 3 pick, so a fourth or fifth-round selection at least.
Again, it all depends on if owner Jerry Jones and Dallas feel like they need another receiver. If they do feel like a summer trade is required, the Cowboys likely couldn’t get a better value than by moving for Perriman.
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Proposed Cowboys Trade Brings ‘Big Play’ Buccaneers WR to Dallas