Despite the Detroit Lions owning the thinnest receiver corps in the NFL, Breshad Perriman couldn't make it through final cuts.
The Lions released Perriman on Monday as the team gets down to its final 53-man roster ahead of Tuesday's deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports, per a source informed of the decision.
ESPN first reported the news. The team later confirmed Perriman's release, along with nine other cuts.
It marks the first big swing-and-miss for new Lions GM Brad Holmes, who guaranteed $2 million of Perriman's $2.5 million contract. While it's a miss on the market, at least Detroit's new brass didn't compound the mistake by hanging on to a player who clearly wasn't one of the best 53 simply because of the deal. With plenty of cap space, the Lions will eat the $2 million and move on.
Perriman struggled to separate himself in the NFL's worst receiver corps. His two ugly drops in the preseason finale -- when he was playing for a roster spot while most starters sat -- sealed his fate.
The former first-round pick has struggled throughout his career. Aside from a 645-yard season in 2019 with Tampa Bay, it's been a string of disappointments since being selected No. 26 overall by Baltimore in 2015. Perriman has speed to burn, but drops and poor route running have plagued him throughout his career.
Perriman is the son of former Lions receiver Brett Perriman, who compiled 5,244 yards and 25 TDs with the club in the 1990s (including back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard campaigns in '95-'96). Detroit hoped it could recapture that magic by signing Breshad. Alas, it didn't work out.
Given that he couldn't make the Lions roster, it's a long shot the 27-year-old will get a chance to earn a significant role this season, and it could spell the end of his career. However, if there is one thing working in Perriman's favor, teams are always searching for speed. He owns that trait (it's how Perriman got $2 million guaranteed in the first place). So it's always possible a coach can convince himself that he's finally the man to fix the receiver's struggles.
The Lions move forward with Tyrell Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Quintez Cephus and Kalif Raymond atop their WR depth chart. It's possible the Lions could look to the waiver wire over the next couple of days in hopes of pillaging a club that is forced to cut a talented younger receiver who couldn't squeeze onto a deeper receiver corps.
