Future Uncertain for Perriman

Joe Flacco is not the only Ravens’ player feeling the pressure to boost his performance.

The Ravens declined to pick up the fifth-year option for receiver Breshad Perriman, according to Mike Garafolo, of the NFL Network.

The move is not surprising given Perriman’s struggles since being selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Over his career, Perriman has 43 receptions for 576 yards and three touchdowns over 27 games. 

Last year, Perriman was a healthy scratch four times in the final six weeks of the season, including the finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished the year ranked 11th on the team with just 10 receptions for 77 yards and no touchdowns.

Perriman missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. In 2016, he missed most of the offseason practices because of a torn ACL. 

Perriman is due a $650,000 roster bonus if he’s still on the team on the third day of this year’s training camp. While the team will likely exercise that option, Perriman’s long-term future in Baltimore is a bit murkier. 

“It’s up to him, whether he can string together, stack together some practices, because he was doing really, really well during OTAs and training camp last year and then he missed four weeks with a hamstring and I don’t think he ever recovered,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said about Perriman. “But he knows this is his opportunity to make or break being a part of the Ravens.”

Frustration

Assistant general manager Eric DeCosta reportedly became animated when another team swooped in and took a player the Ravens had targeted, according to Jeff Zrebiec, of The Baltimore Sun. 

Zrebiec thinks that player was Oklahoma receiver James Washington. The Ravens might have been confident Washington would have been available with their first pick of the third round. However, he was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 28th pick in the second round. The Ravens eventually traded back to get more picks.