While the New York Jets lost wide receiver Robby Anderson to the Carolina Panthers this offseason, they signed a replacement who has the potential to develop into a No. 1 wide receiver. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Breshad Perriman signed a one-year, $8 million deal after a career season in 2019, and he believes that his best football is ahead of him.
Late in the 2019 season, Perriman emerged as one of the most surprising breakout players in the league. In the final five games, he caught 25 passes for 506 yards and five touchdowns. A former first-round pick that many considered a bust, the 26-year-old now has confidence that he can develop into the wideout many thought he could be entering the league.
"That was just a tiny glimpse," Perriman told reporters on Friday, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. "I'm looking forward to building on that run from last season."
Perriman was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. After a junior season at UCF in which he put up 1,044 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, it appeared he was someone who could develop into a true star at the next level. Unfortunately, that never really happened and injuries played a big factor. Perriman was released after three seasons with the Ravens and bounced around with the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns during the 2018 season. A year ago, the Buccaneers took a flier on the former first-round pick, signing him to a one-year $4 million deal.
Perriman caught just three passes in the first eight weeks with the Buccaneers, but injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin opened the door for him to start. Back in Week 15 against the Detroit Lions, Perriman caught five passes for 113 yards and three touchdowns. It was an incredible performance, but with how poor Detroit's secondary was, many thought Perriman's big game was just a flash in the pan. The next week against the Houston Texans, however, Perriman caught a career-high seven passes for 102 yards. In the regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, he caught five passes for a career-high 134 yards and one touchdown.
It's hard to ignore how productive Perriman was at the end of last season. He kept Jameis Winston on track to lead the NFL in passing yards after his top two wideouts went down with injuries, and is someone who could help Sam Darnold continue to raise his level of play.
