In the absence of Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles’ wide receivers struggled in Thursday’s season-opening win against the Falcons, combining for nine catches for just 43 yards. The addition of Mack Hollins to the IR further weakened the receiving corps, and the Eagles have spent the last few days looking for ways to improve depth at the position. It started on Saturday when the team signed Braxton Miller to the practice squad and continues today as they work out former Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman.
Perriman was drafted in the first-round (26th overall) in the 2015 draft. He missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, but returned in 2016 to play all 16 games, catching 33 passes for 499 yards and three touchdowns, posting an impressive 15.1 yards per catch average. After a quiet 2017 season in which he had just 10 catches for 77 yards, Perriman was released by the Ravens ahead of the start of the 2018 season.
Perriman possesses an intriguing combination of size and speed. Listed at 6’3” and 218 pounds, he ran a 4.29 40-yard dash in his pre-draft workout. Unfortunately, he has yet to consistently translate those attributes into on-the-field success. He has struggled with route running and his hands have been an issue, as he has caught just 43% of his targets during his two healthy seasons.
Any player that is available at this point in the season is going to come with some concerns. But Perriman’s size and athletic ability are interesting, and sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for a player. We’ll have to wait and see if anything comes from today’s workout, but Perriman could be a solid low-risk option to bolster the wide receiver depth.
