Baltimore Ravens: Breshad Perriman Needs to Maximize Remainder of His Preseason
Having confidence is good for Baltimore Ravens second-year receiver Breshad Perriman, but getting on the field will be even more important.
The Baltimore Ravens spent a first-round pick (No. 26 overall) in last year’s draft in order to secure former Central Florida wide receiver Breshad Perriman.
Despite his status as a small-school prospect, Perriman appeared to have all the makings of a potential game-changing receiver. He had some impressive past production—1,044 yards receiving and a 20.9 yards-per-reception average in 2014—and the type of size-speed combination that NFL coordinators dream of.
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The 6’2″, 212-pound pass-catcher clocked a blazing 4.24-second 40 at his pro day.
Unfortunately, the Ravens haven’t seen much of last year’s top selection since he was drafted, and Ravens fans have seen even less.
A lingering knee issue cost Perriman his entire rookie season. Another knee injury threatened to wipe out this year as well. Perriman suffered his latest knee injury back in June, but avoided requiring surgery and recently returned to practice.
According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Perriman was back on the practice field Tuesday without a brace and while showing ” little effects from the knee injury in running routes and making cuts.”
“It’s coming real soon. I know it will be worth the wait” – Breshad Perriman
This is a sign that Perriman is one big step closer to finally making his debut for Baltimore. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has even left open the possibility (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN) of Perriman debuting this Saturday against the Detroit Lions, according to Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ official website.
As far as Perriman is concerned, Baltimore fans will be pleased with his return.
“(I’m) very eager,” Perriman said, per Mink. “It’s coming real soon. I know it will be worth the wait. I feel real good. I’m confident. I feel like my speed is there still, so I can’t complain at all.
It’s a good sign that Perriman had confidence and feels like he hasn’t lost a step. It would be easy to forgive the receiver if he had questions about his quickness and his knee’s durability after more than a year of injury issues. However, Perriman needs to gain even more confidence by getting on the game field and beginning the difficult adjustment to the pro game.
Obviously, Perriman shouldn’t rush onto the field if he isn’t physically ready—and the Ravens shouldn’t let him. Getting game reps before the end of the preseason would go a long way in Perriman’s development, though. If the receiver can safely go, he should.
Making the transition from a smaller collegiate program to the NFL is a daunting enough task as it is. Factor in a year’s worth of lost conditioning and training, and it seems Perriman faces an even tougher challenge.
Hopefully, the second-year pass-catcher has been able to utilize his time on the sideline to get a feel for the pace and the flow of the pro game. He should have had plenty of time to study the playbook as well. However, there is a big difference between knowing the play calls and having run the plays into second-nature territory—and there’s no comparable substitute for actually running them in a real game.
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Baltimore has other options a wide receiver—like Steve Smith Sr., Mike Wallace and Kamar Aiken. The team shouldn’t feel a need to rush Perriman onto the playing field. If Perriman wants to put himself there, he needs to make the most of the time he has left this preseason, hopefully on the field instead of from the sideline.