CLEVELAND -- Breshad Perriman is ready to get down to the business of football with the Cleveland Browns after signing with the team on Saturday afternoon.
After being released by the Baltimore Ravens and spending just four days with the Washington football organization before being let go earlier this season, Perriman is happy to have a home and ready to be a contributor for a Browns team in need of depth and productivity at receiver.
“I always feel like I’ve got something to prove, no matter how good I’m doing or how bad things have been for me, but to answer your question, yes,” Perriman said Monday. “I’ve got an extra chip on my shoulder, and really, am just ready to go to work.”
In three years with the Ravens, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Perriman caught 43 passes for 576 yards, an average of 13.4 yards per reception, with three touchdowns, including a 53-yard score during the 2016 season.
A first-round pick of the Ravens in the 2015 NFL Draft, Perriman is in his fourth professional season out of the University of Central Florida.
“I’m kind of new to this whole process, but I’m up to the challenge,” Perriman said. “I don’t know how tough it’s going to be, to answer your question, but all I can do is really hit the books hard and try to get a grasp of this playbook as quick as possible.
“There’s a lot of pressure as it is just playing this game. I’m not going to put extra pressure on myself just thinking I’ve got to prove everybody right. I’m just going to go out there and play to my abilities, and that will take care of itself.”
Adding a veteran like Perriman became a necessity this week when Rashard Higgins went on the shelf because of a sprained knee ligament in last Sunday’s 12-9 win over the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium and his backup, Derrick Willies, suffered a broken collarbone in Friday’s practice at team headquarters in Berea.
Along with Higgins and Willies, the Browns lost receiver Rod Streater for the season after he suffered a neck fracture on a special-teams coverage play early in Sunday’s 38-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“For the most part, everybody’s saying that they’re the team this year,” Perriman said of the perception of the Browns he heard while trying out for several other teams. “Everybody has really gained a lot of respect for the Browns. I’m glad to be here, glad to be a part of that process and everybody knows that they’re a threat.
“It could be great. It could be a great chapter of my story. I’m really excited to be here. I’m excited to get things rolling. I know this can be a huge blessing for me, and I know it will be.”
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