This past offseason, the Baltimore Ravens completely overhauled the wide receivers corps. As the faces around him changed, Breshad Perriman remained. Although Perriman has been able to survive thus far, the Ravens could still part ways with the former first-round receiver this summer. Perriman, to say the least, has had a less than stellar career in Baltimore. He sat out the entirety of his rookie season with a knee injury. In 2016 Perriman finally hit the field, receiving for 499 yards, and three touchdowns. His defacto rookie season was not ideal, but encouraging, as the fan base eyed 2017 as a potential breakout year. To the fan base’s dismay, however, Perriman failed to capitalize on the opportunities given to him.
2017 saw a massive breakdown at the wide receiver position, which did not leave Breshad Perriman unscathed. The disappointment felt by Perriman’s performance in 2017 cannot be adequately articulated. Instead, I will let the numbers speak for themselves. In 2017, Perriman caught just 10 of 34 targets, for a measly 77 yards. Perriman dropped a lot of balls, catching just 29.41% of all passes thrown to him. It got so bad that John Harbaugh was forced to not only bench Perriman but to deactivate him as well. Perriman took a massive step backward in 2017, and most fans and analysts have already labeled him a draft bust. The only opinions that matter to Perriman, however, are those of the coaching staff.
The Baltimore Ravens chose not to exercise the fifth-year option on Breshad Perriman, meaning his contract will run out after the 2018 season. Perriman will need an extremely good showing in 2018 if he wants to re-sign with the Ravens or land with another club in 2019. But will Perriman even get the chance this year? The Ravens have 13 wide receivers currently on the depth chart. The team usually only keeps six. Locks for the roster are Willie Snead, Michael Crabtree, and John Brown. The Ravens also just drafted rookies, Jordan Lasley and Jaleel Scott. It’s hard to believe that the Ravens would part ways with either after this offseason, considering they spent a fourth and fifth round pick on each. That means there is really only one, maybe two roster spots left for Perriman.
Receiver Chris Moore is entering his third season with the Ravens. In his two previous years, Moore has filled in a role as a depth wide receiver. Last year he impressed with 18 catches for 248 yards and three touchdowns, a much better season than Perriman. It’s very hard to believe that Baltimore would cut Moore this year, as he showed flash late in the 2017 season. The Ravens also have Tim White and Quincy Adeboyejo coming back to compete for roster spots. Both were bound to make the Ravens roster as undrafted free agents last year before each dealt with injuries. The Ravens also signed receivers Janarion Grant, DeVier Posey, Jaelon Acklin, and Andre Levrone this offseason. Each will compete for a roster spot.
Unless Breshad Perriman gives the Ravens a reason this summer to consider him again, they won’t. Breshad Perriman will likely be cut. The Ravens probably will give him the $649,485 signing bonus he is due on the third day of training camp, but won’t hold on to him past the preseason. Perriman has shown his inability to play at the NFL level, and the Ravens have already loaded up the wide receiver corps in the hopes of finding a replacement. Unless Breshad Perriman has a fantastic turn around this preseason, there is no way the Ravens will waste the roster spot for a wide receiver Joe Flacco cannot rely on.
