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By most accounts, Malcolm Perry had himself a nice training camp in 2021. The 2020 7th-round draft selection showcased great quickness and agility with the football; proving to be a headache to corral at times. But when the time came for roster cuts, Perry was one of the receivers to get hit with a cut — although it was reported that the Dolphins were hoping to get him back on the practice squad.
They never had the chance.
Because Perry was claimed on Wednesday by the New England Patriots, finding a home on New England’s 53-man roster for the season ahead — an arrangement that will offer a reunion with the Dolphins sooner rather than later. The two teams play in Week 1.
That surely isn’t the root of New England’s claim in Perry — Bill Belichick has a soft spot for the Naval Academy thanks to his father’s time there and Belichick’s own roots starting in Annapolis. And the Patriots certainly need help at wide receiver. But Perry’s exposure to the Dolphins offense all offseason surely is the icing on the cake for this fit for the Patriots.
In the short-term, Perry offers the Patriots a chance to uncover some of the core principles of Miami’s offense and help take away some of the surprises that Miami is going to be unfolding against New England. But it is important to bear in mind that Perry will be out of the building for nearly two full weeks of game-specific install time for this game; leaving plenty of new wrinkles to be put into place that can still catch the Patriots off guard.
In the long-term, Perry can offer the Patriots a potential specialist in the return game and the upside to continue developing into a slot receiver. Perry isn’t a big body and his route running is still a work in progress; understandable for a former option quarterback. It isn’t likely that Perry is the next Wes Welker (or anything close), despite the cries of some fans on social media after the claim was made public.
Welker will forever be the exception to the rule. Perry is an easy player to root for; but he was ultimately too low on the Dolphins’ pecking order to survive cuts in his second year. That discrepancy in polish isn’t going to disappear just because he walks through the doors in New England. Granted, he’ll have a bigger opportunity up north — but that says more about a wide receiver room whose top three options are currently Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne than it does anything else.