The Lions gave Breshad Perriman $2 million guaranteed to be their No. 2 wide receiver. On Monday they cut him.
Perriman, 27, injured his hip early in training camp and wasn't productive when healthy. He struggled with drops and creating separation, and head coach Dan Campbell made it clear last week that the veteran was on the bubble. With the Lions needing to shave their roster to 53 players by Tuesday afternoon, Perriman was one of the first casualties.
Perriman's departure shines another light on Detroit's problems at receiver. The new regime overhauled the position this offseason, and Perriman was supposed to help offset the losses of Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. Now he's gone. After fellow free agent acquisition Tyrell Williams, the Lions likely won't have a single receiver on the final roster with a track record of NFL success.
With Perriman out of the picture, Detroit figures to lean heavily on fourth-round rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown and former fifth-round pick Quintez Cephus, both of whom impressed in training camp. The door is also open for former lacrosse player Tom Kennedy to claim the No. 5 receiver spot. Kalif Raymond will also win a job, given his role as a return man.
Perriman's contract was for one year and $2.5 million after he caught 30 passes for 505 yards and three touchdowns last season with the Jets. He said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who starred for the Lions in the '90s. Instead, he's headed out of town.