The Panthers wide receiver corps will need some fresh blood in 2020 after adding offensive coordinator Joe Brady and subtracting Jarius Wright.
This year’s draft class is deep at the position and Carolina should definitely pick one at some point. The front office might also consider going after a veteran receiver in free agency, preferably one who won’t break the bank and is still in their prime. With that in mind, our next potential 2020 free agent target profile is Breshad Perriman of the Buccaneers.
Career stats:
Perriman played college ball at Central Florida then got picked by the Ravens in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He missed his entire rookie year due to a knee injury on the first day of training camp, though. After that, he played two seasons in Baltimore, one in Cleveland and one in Tampa Bay, making appearances in 51 games. Perriman has caught 95 passes, totaling 1,561 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Pros:
Perriman just had a breakout season in Tampa, posting career highs in catches (36), yards (645) and touchdowns (six). The Panthers’ wide receiver corps needs more size and speed. Perriman offers a bit of both. He checks in at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. Those qualities helped him average 17.9 yards per catch in 2019, the fourth-best average in the league. He seems to do his best work from the slot, which would be a plus in Wright’s absence.
Cons:
For a first-round pick, Perriman definitely hasn’t lived up to the hype. His relatively low catch rate is most concerning – it’s just 48.7% for his career and it’s not necessarily getting better. He only caught 36 of 69 targets from Jameis Winston last year. Injuries have also been an issue, as he has missed 29 games already.
Probability: Medium
More than anything, Perriman’s market will be hurt by his injury history and the deep 2020 wide receiver draft class. He’ll also likely have to compete with A.J. Green, Robby Anderson and Taylor Gabriel. That should make him just affordable enough for the Panthers to sign if they’re interested.
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