In the first of more than two dozen cuts that will be made by the Detroit Lions over the next two days, the team has parted with wide receiver Breshad Perriman.
A source familiar with the decision confirmed Perriman’s release with the Detroit News after it was originally reported by ESPN early Monday morning.
The Lions signed Perriman in the opening days of free agency and he had entered the offseason program as a projected starter after the team didn’t address the receiver position the first two days of the draft.
But the former first-round draft pick, and son of former Lions standout Brett Perriman, never found his footing in Detroit. After a sluggish performance in the early stages of the offseason program, Perriman suffered a hip injury that sidelined him several days during training camp.
Both head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn didn’t hide the fact they wanted to see more from Perriman in the preseason finale, but in his final audition for a roster spot, he dropped a pair of passes.
It remains to be seen whether cutting Perriman will lead to another receiver earning a spot on Detroit’s 53-man roster or the team will enter the season with just four at the position. The team needs to get to the allotted 53 players ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
Veteran Tyrell Williams and Kalif Raymond, along with rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown, are considered locks, while second-year pro Quintez Cephus seemingly did enough through training camp and the preseason to maintain his spot. A fifth receiving job, if the Lions go with one, would likely go to either Tom Kennedy or Geronimo Allison.
Perriman signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Lions in March, which included $2 million in guarantees. That money will continue to count against the team’s salary cap in 2021.