They didn’t expect magic at the receiver position, just competence. And when Breshad Perriman failed to deliver that, the Detroit Lions decided it was time to move on from one of Brad Holmes’ first free agent additions as general manager.
The Lions are releasing Perriman as part of their first round of roster cuts. ESPN first reported the move early Monday.
NFL teams have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to reach the 53-man roster limit. The Lions are now at 79 players.
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Perriman’s release comes as little surprise after he finished with one catch for 6 yards this preseason and had more drops (two) than catches (one) against the Colts.
The son of ex-Lions receiver Brett Perriman, Breshad missed time in training camp with a hip injury and was only modestly productive when healthy.
Tyrell Williams and Kalif Raymond spent most of the summer working as the Lions’ first-string receivers, with rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown playing the slot. Second-year receiver Quintez Cephus had a strong camp to pass Perriman on the depth chart, and Tom Kennedy and undrafted rookie Javon McKinley are among those vying for the potential No. 5 receiver job.
A first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, Perriman signed a one-year deal with the Lions in March that included $2 million guaranteed.
He has 125 catches for 2,066 yards in his career, and had his best season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016 (36 catches, 645 yards) when he worked with current Lions receivers coach Antwaan Randle El.
Asked about Perriman’s struggles last week, Lions coach Dan Campbell said a reporter was “on to something” and noted Perriman hadn’t put much on film yet.
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“He had the hip injury and then he comes back and he was solid (in the second preseason) for the plays that he had, but yet he had an (offensive pass interference penalty), which he knows better than,” Campbell said. “He doesn’t need to do that. His speed and the route is enough to where he would win on that. So I think he’ll be better coming off of this hip. He kind of got a game under him, but I think that room right now is still up for grabs. I think there’s a heavy competition going on in that room right now.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.