The Indianapolis Colts have a need to address the wide receiver corps this offseason, a task that can be achieved in many ways. Could Breshad Perriman be a target for Indy in free agency?

The Road So Far

The No. 26 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft with the Baltimore Ravens, Perriman failed to live up to the expectations bestowed upon him. The embattled wide receiver has already spent time on three teams since entering the league five years ago.

Dealing with both injuries and inconsistencies during his time with the Ravens, Perriman was a major bust for Baltimore leading them to release him before his fourth season. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2018 where he caught 16 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 21.3 yards per catch.

During the 2019 offseason, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finally began to show some life. He recorded career-highs in receptions (36), receiving yards (645) and touchdowns (six) while averaging 17.9 yards per catch.

Fit With The Colts

The Colts likely won’t spend big on a free agent so Perriman would be the type of tier Chris Ballard might target. He works best as a vertical threat given his size (6’2, 215) and elite speed (4.35) would give the Colts the type of explosiveness they are looking for.

With an aging T.Y. Hilton and unproven commodities behind him in the room, Perriman would have the chance to compete for a role in the room. However, trusting him to be the WR2 would likely be a mistake given his career history of injury and inefficiency.

The Colts don’t have a true vertical threat on the roster and while they would certainly need to bring in a quarterback that doesn’t mind downfield targets, Perriman might be able to thrive in a complementary role as a field stretcher when the Colts want to take shots down the field.

Price

What separates Perriman from the other wide receivers we’ve covered already is the price. The Colts could likely sign him to a one-year deal worth $7 million on the market. At the age of 26, Perriman still probably has to prove himself, but it could be worth for the Colts to look into if they feel he can work as a downfield threat in the offense.

Conclusion

While there are risks to signing Perriman, there is also some upside. The Colts would get a cheap option regardless but one that has the ability to take the top off the defense when healthy. Perriman is in the tier of wide receivers that Ballard is willing to sign and take a chance on despite the former’s inconsistent track record.

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