The Cleveland Browns and Breshad Perriman negotiations feel like déjà vu
By Dan Justik
The Cleveland Browns are reportedly not close to a deal with Breshad Perriman, and it feels similar to a situation just a few off-seasons ago.
The Cleveland Browns and general manager John Dorsey have made it known that they want to see wide receiver Breshad Perriman wearing the brown and orange in 2019.
The 25-year-old receiver is set to be an unrestricted free agent this off-season after showing flashes of talent that made him a first round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft.
In 2018, Perriman caught 16 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns. He provided the Browns with an ability to get vertical and make plays downfield, something that the team lacked last season.
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After being cut before the season and having multiple tryouts before landing with the Browns, Perriman should have a bunch of suitors in free agency. And it seems like Perriman and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, are more than willing to test the free agent market instead of re-upping with the Browns right away.
Mary Kay Cabot reported Monday that Rosenhaus wants Perriman to hit the open market to see what other teams are offering for Perriman’s services, giving them an accurate take on the wide receiver’s value. This would prevent Perriman from re-signing with the Browns below market value.
However, Rosenhaus used this same tactic just a few off-seasons ago with another former Browns wide receiver, Terrelle Pryor. Pryor was coming off a career year in 2016 after changing positions from quarterback to wide receiver.
The Browns reportedly offered Pryor a four-year, $32 million contract, but Pryor and Rosenhaus declined. Rosenhaus believed that Pryor should receive a contract around the $12-14 million range, or money that was close to the franchise tag for wide receivers.
Pryor then hit the open market with the hopes of landing a contract with that annual money. But that contract never materialized and Pryor was forced to sign a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins.
After dealing with injuries and not fitting into offenses, Pryor is once again a free agent that is not coveted by teams. Turning down the multi-year offer from the Browns obviously did not pay off, and Pryor has publicly stated he regrets leaving Cleveland.
In the case of Perriman, it does not seem that Rosenhaus is asking for a deal with the price tag he wanted for Pryor. Instead, it seems that all Rosenhaus wants is to make sure Perriman is not signing below market value.
Even if that is the case, the Perriman negotiations have the same feeling as the Pryor situation. If the Browns and Perriman cannot strike a deal, it is not hard to imagine Cleveland moving on to another receiver instead of potentially overpaying for Perriman.
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Perriman did make big plays last season, but they were in a limited sample size. A wide receiver desperate team may give Perriman and Rosenhaus the contract they desire, but it’s risky for a team to hitch their wagon to Perriman because of his performance in a small sample size last season.