Chargers re-sign Denzel Perryman: Grade, analysis and more
By Conor Myles
The Los Angeles Chargers needed to hold onto one of their young core defensive players and did just that re-signing Denzel Perryman, despite his injury concerns.
Perryman stays up in Los Angeles after the Chargers announced they re-signed the linebacker before the start of free agency.
The four-year linebacker has shown a ton of promise while on the field but has struggled to do just that — stay on the field. Perryman has missed 16 games combined over the past two seasons due to injuries. The two-year commitment the Chargers gave the former University of Miami product gives him enough time to prove his worth to the organization before his next deal.
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Perryman was the anchor of Chargers’ run defense before his injury. Los Angeles’ head coach, Anthony Lynn, cited just that during the linebacker’s absence.
“Denzel is a starter for a reason. Our rush defense is much better with Denzel in there, so we’re going to have to pick it up collectively as a group now,” Lynn said in November after Perryman’s season-ending knee injury.
The perception of Perryman’s contract around the league was to be expected. Many question his ability to stay healthy.
Contract details
The team rewarded their 2015 second-round pick with a new two-year, $12 million deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
National reaction
Source: The #Chargers have agreed to terms on a 2-year extension with standout LB Denzel Perryman. A homegrown player stays home before free agency begins.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2019
Probably hard to work a contract with a player like Denzel Perryman, he makes an impact when he plays but still hasn't played all 16 games in each of his 4 seasons in the league.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 6, 2019
In fact, he only played 16 games combined the past 2 seasons due to injuries. https://t.co/7luMF12Kgn
In Denzel Perryman’s nine starts in ‘18, the Chargers went 7-2 and allowed just 16.1 ppg in their wins. A big piece of the D back in the fold.
— Chris Hayre (@chrishayre) March 9, 2019
B+. . LB. Los Angeles Chargers. DENZEL PERRYMAN
This deal comes with little risk. The two-year pact does little to hurt the Chargers as Perryman carries a six million dollar average salary figure while keeping an up-and-coming talent. This gives the 26-year-old linebacker a chance to showcase his ability while trying to stay on the field and the Chargers a key piece of their defense on a cheap price tag.
The Chargers defense finished in the top-ten even without the likes of Perryman or Joey Bosa for significant periods of the 2018 season. Avoiding spending a premium for a linebacker in free agency and rolling the dice on one of their own was a no-brainer for Los Angeles especially with what Perryman has shown on the field.
The Chargers are coming off a season that saw them back in the playoffs. Bringing back a pivotal piece to their team in Perryman was the correct move to return to the postseason in 2019.