Breshad Perriman is setting high expectations for himself before even putting on a Jets jersey.
The newly-signed wideout told reporters Friday that his five-game stretch to end the 2019 season with the Buccaneers is only a “tiny glimpse” of his ability. During that stretch, Perriman became the first player in 15 years with 500 yards, five touchdowns and 20 yards per reception in the final five games of the season. He finished with 25 receptions for 506 yards and five touchdowns.
“I bring a lot of speed, a lot of big play-making ability to this team,” Perriman said. “I can’t wait to get to work to prove that anyone who has doubt in their mind is wrong.”
Perriman’s sample size of success is small, though. If you take away his past five games of action – where he played in 90 percent of the Buccaneers’ snaps – he tallied only 70 receptions for 1,055 yards and five touchdowns in 46 games since 2016 and only played in over 70 percent of offensive snaps three times. Extrapolated over a 16-game season, that’s an abysmal 24 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns. That’s nowhere near the production the Jets will need from Perriman, who figures to take over as the Jets’ top receiving option after Robby Anderson signed with the Panthers.
Perriman only recently played well, too. He lasted only three seasons in Baltimore after the Ravens drafted him 26th overall pick in 2015 and saw limited action in his lone season with the Browns.
Despite his limited production, Perriman proved in 2019 he can play at a high level when given the opportunity. He only tallied 11 receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown in the first nine weeks of the season, but only played in 53.4 percent of the offensive snaps and operated as the third wide receiver behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. But when the Buccaneers lost Evans and Godwin to injury, Perriman stepped up with his incredible five-game stretch where he played in 90 percent of the team’s snaps and only dropped one of his 65 targets.
“It was definitely just a matter of opportunity and taking advantage of it,” Perriman said. “Unfortunately, they suffered injuries and it forced me to go into a bigger role and gave more opportunities and I just really capitalized on it.”
The problem is, Perriman’s production potential could be capped in an Adam Gase offense. The past receivers who’ve played in Perriman’s presumed position at the “X” for Gase haven’t performed well.
Robby Anderson caught just 52 catches for 779 yards and five touchdowns in 2019, while Devante Parker averaged 56 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns over 16 games between 2016-2018 for the Dolphins and Alshon Jeffrey caught 54 catches for 807 yards and four touchdowns in nine games for the Bears in 2015. This pattern caps what Perriman can do for the Jets even with his speedy 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame.
Regardless, Perriman remains convinced he’ll succeed for Gase and the Jets.
“I believe it’s going to happen now because knowing Coach Gase, he’s definitely an offensive-minded coach,” Perriman said. “You see that the receivers that he had and the numbers they put up every time in this system, I have no doubt in my mind this is definitely going to be a season to remember for me.”
Unless the Jets draft a top wideout or trade for another, they’ll need Perriman to be their top pass-catching option. Sam Darnold will have a solid arsenal of weapons between Perriman, Jamison Crowder, Le’Veon Bell, and Chris Herndon, but only Bell is a proven playmaker. If Perriman can live up to his first-round billing five years later he could be a steal for the Jets.