5:31 p.m.-Breshad Perriman 'ready to go to work' for Cleveland Browns
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.”
4:21 p.m.-Cleveland Browns continue to struggle through injury issues at wide receiver
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns had depth at the wide receiver throughout training camp, preseason and first quarter of the 2018 season, but that surplus of talent has been depleted as the injuries continue to stack up.
Sunday’s 38-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at FirstEnergy Stadium was costly, and more than just in the standings, as wide receiver Rod Streater became the latest pass catcher to get hurt, as he was lost for the balance of the year because of a neck injury.
“I’m not going to make excuses,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “We’ve got to coach (well). We’ve got to put them in the best situations. We’ve got to help everybody on this team, offensively, defensively and special teams to be as good as we can because nobody cares about what’s going on in Cleveland as far as what players we’re playing with, our injuries or anything like that.
“Doesn’t matter, so we’ll find a way.”
Streater was hurt on a special-teams coverage play early in the loss to the Chargers. He remained on the field for several minutes before walking off toward the sideline, and later, the Browns’ locker room for further evaluation.
After being ruled out for the game with a “stinger,” Streater underwent further tests, and it was revealed that he suffered a fracture in his neck. While a full recovery is expected, Streater will be placed on injured reserve and miss the rest of the year.
“We’ve got to take the guys that are here and put them in position to have success,” Jackson said. “We have some other guys that can contribute, and we’ve just got to use every resource we have in the building to become the best we can be.”
With Streater out of the lineup, the Browns are down to Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, Damion Ratley and newly signed Breshad Perriman as the only receivers on the active roster as the team begins its preparations for this week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
Adding a veteran like Perriman became a necessity this week when Rashard Higgins went on the shelf because of a sprained knee ligament experienced in the 12-9 win over the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 7, and his backup, Derrick Willies, suffered a broken collarbone in last Friday’s practice at team headquarters in Berea.
That inexperience showed up when Callaway and Ratley dropped passes in and near the end zone, respectively, against the Chargers, but that is something the Browns will continue to work through as a staff.
“Sometimes, those are the things that happen,” Jackson said. “You don’t want them to happen. You have to work through those things with them. You’ve got to get them to be a little bit more consistent.
“It’s when the drops are happening. There’s potential touchdowns and third downs and those things, so we just have to work through that the best we can. I’m not going to get down on a player. We’re just going to coach them and try to get them better and get them to respond positively when those opportunities come.”
2:15 p.m.-CLEVELAND BROWNS ADDRESS MEDIA AFTER FILM SESSION
The Cleveland Browns are addressing the media in Berea after breaking down film of Sunday's 38-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns played well in front of their fans in the first three home games of the 2018 regular season, but the same could not be said about Sunday’s game against the Chargers at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Chargers (4-2) got 132 yards and three rushing touchdowns from running back Melvin Gordon, and two passing scores from quarterback Philip Rivers to wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who gained 118 yards on three receptions, on the way to a 38-14 win over the Browns (2-3-1) Sunday.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked five times and threw a pair of interceptions in the loss.
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