Nick Perry (OLB) - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Interested In Nick Perry

May 6th, 2019 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have made overtures to free agent edge rusher Nick Perry, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Perry, unlike other veteran free agents, would not count against the Dolphins’ 2020 compensatory pick formula.

The Packers ate a considerable amount of dead money to move Perry’s deal off their books in March and revamped their outside linebacker corps by signing Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith. Ending the past two seasons on IR, Perry did not live up to the deal he signed with Green Bay in 2017. But, the 29-year-old pass rusher is said to be fully healthy for the first time in months.

Perry has never played 16 games in a season, but prior to the 2018 campaign that saw him miss seven games, the former first-round pick had played in at least 12 from 2014-17. He finished with 18 sacks between the 2016 and ’17 seasons and would profile as a reasonable upgrade for Miami. In fact, he may be the best remaining edge rusher left, save for Ezekiel Ansah.

Perry would make sense for the Dolphins – Patrick Graham, the Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator, was Perry’s position coach in Green Bay last year. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have to reload after losing both Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn.

With that in mind, Beasley also says that former Bills defender Jordan Mills is a player to watch for the Dolphins. Mills would impact the Dolphins’ comp pick formula, so Miami may not ramp things up on that front until the end of the week.

Nick Perry To Visit Seahawks

March 25th, 2019 at 5:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Clay Matthews landed on his feet in Los Angeles, the other member of the since-disbanded Packers pass-rushing tandem has an NFC West meeting set up.

The Seahawks will host Nick Perry on a visit this week, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. This will be Perry’s first meeting since the Packers released him.

Ending the past two seasons on IR, Perry did not live up to the deal he signed with the Packers in 2017. But the soon-to-be 29-year-old pass rusher is fully healthy for the first time in months, La Canfora adds. The Packers ate a considerable amount of dead money to move Perry’s deal off their books and revamped their outside linebacker corps by signing Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith.

Perry has never played 16 games in a season, but prior to the 2018 campaign that saw him miss seven games, the former first-round pick had played in at least 12 from 2014-17. He finished with 18 sacks between the 2016 and ’17 seasons and profiles as a reasonable second-wave free agent, albeit one who is not in position to command anywhere close to the five-year, $60MM deal he inked with Green Bay two years ago.

The Seahawks used their franchise tag on Frank Clark. He has not signed his tender but is expected to remain Seattle’s defensive line anchor in 2019. Second-year player Rasheem Green and RFA Quinton Jefferson are in line to contribute opposite Clark, but the group may stand to benefit from an experienced presence. With Clark’s $17MM-plus franchise tag on their books, the Seahawks hold $12MM in cap space.

Packers To Release Nick Perry

March 12th, 2019 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers will release outside linebacker Nick Perry, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The decision to cut Perry comes moments after the Packers agreed to sign linebacker Preston Smith and pass rusher Za’Darius Smith.

Perry was set to make $11MM this season and had a $4.8MM roster bonus due on March 15. With tons of new firepower (and expenditures) in the front seven, there was little room left for Perry.

The Packers happily re-upped Perry on a five-year, $60MM extension in 2017, but he’s missed eleven games since then. His latest injury came in 2018 when he landed on IR with a knee ailment. Perry had a career-low 1.5 sacks last season and he was bracing himself for a release.

Previously, it was believed that the Packers could have interest in restructuring Perry’s deal, but there’s little need for him after the Packers’ free agent shopping bonanza. Perry won’t turn 29 until April and is healthy once again, so he shouldn’t have too much trouble finding work.

Per Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com, Perry was not designated as a post-June 1 cut, which means that the Packers will eat all of the dead money from the release ($11.1MM) this year. The club will still save roughly $3.3MM in cap space in 2019, but they could have saved nearly $11MM if they spread out the dead money into 2020.

Packers Rumors: Perry, Wilkerson, Campbell

March 1st, 2019 at 4:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of Green Bay:

Outside linebacker Nick Perry wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers declined to pay his $4.8MM roster bonus due on March 15, a source close to Perry tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, Perry isn’t sure if the Packers would offer a restructure or just move on in that scenario. Perry landed on IR in November with a knee injury and finished out with a career-low 1.5 sacks. The Packers happily re-upped him on a five-year, $60MM extension in 2017, but he’s missed eleven games since then.
There’s “mutual interest” between the Packers and defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson for next season, a source tells Demovsky (on Twitter). Wilkerson joined the Packers on a one-year, $5MM deal last year and he’s probably looking at another prove-it deal if he wants to stay in Green Bay. The ex-Jet appeared in just three games last year before an ankle injury wiped out his season.
The Packers still have an interest in bringing back free agent safety Ibraheim Campbell, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). However, Campbell suffered a torn ACL against the Cardinals in December, which the team didn’t disclose. The safety, who was effective in his three games for the Packers, could be ready by training camp and brought back.

Packers Place Nick Perry On IR

November 24th, 2018 at 3:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Perry‘s season will come to an early conclusion. Already ruled out for Week 12, the veteran outside linebacker is now on the Packers’ IR list, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Perry is dealing with a knee injury, the latest in a recent run of maladies for the well-paid pass rusher. Green Bay promoted defensive end James Looney from its practice squad to fill the roster spot, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter).

Injured during the Packers’ Week 10 win over the Dolphins, Perry missed last week’s game and did not practice this week. He’ll finish a season on IR for a second straight year. Various injuries affected Perry last season, and he missed all of Green Bay’s offesason program training camp with an ankle ailment.

The sixth-year edge defender will finish his season with a career-low 1.5 sacks. By the end of this regular season, Perry will have missed 11 games since signing his five-year, $60MM extension.

Kyler Fackrell and Reggie Gilbert will see more time in Perry’s absence. The former, thanks to a three-sack performance in Seattle, now leads the Packers with eight this season.

Although Perry has not lived up to the extension, he may be tethered to the Packers for at least one more season. It would cost Green Bay more than $11MM in dead money if Perry is released next year. Perry finished 2016 with a career-high 11 sacks, but injuries have limited his chances to build on that performance and justify his eight-figure-AAV re-up.

Packers Remove Nick Perry From PUP List

August 19th, 2018 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Perry returned to Packers practice on Sunday. The team took the starting outside linebacker off the PUP list.

He’d missed Green Bay’s offseason program — a pivotal one for Packer defenders due to Mike Pettine implementing a new defensive scheme — with an ankle injury. Perry underwent offseason surgery to correct his damaged ankle, according to the Associated Press.

It’s uncertain if the seventh-year veteran will play in the Packers’ final two preseason games, but he expects to be ready by the time Green Bay takes the field for its Week 1 assignment. He doesn’t seem too concerned about getting up to speed in Pettine’s defense, either.

“We’re at a point where I don’t have a choice,” Perry said, via the AP. “I think I’ll be fine, ultimately. My body is in good shape to handle a (work) load like that. So it’s just a matter of me getting into practice and fully getting a whole practice under my belt and continue to stack those days.”

Ankle, foot, shoulder and hand maladies bothered Perry last season. He suffered a broken hand during the 2017 campaign and missed four games of the most disappointing Packers season in over a decade.

The Packers are counting on Perry to return to his 2016 form, when he registered a career-high 11 sacks. He still collected seven last season, despite the various injuries. Green Bay did not make any high-profile edge additions this offseason, and the Perry-Clay Matthews duo will return as the team’s primary pass-rushing presences.

Nick Perry Headed To Packers’ IR

December 30th, 2017 at 2:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Perry won’t finish the season on the Packers’ active roster. Green Bay placed its top edge defender on IR on Saturday, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.

The Packers signed fullback Joe Kerridge to take Perry’s spot on the 53-man unit. Perry was already set to miss Week 17 due to injuries.

Foot, ankle and shoulder ailments have slowed Perry this season. He played in 12 games and recorded seven sacks — four off his career-best 11 of last season. The 27-year-old outside linebacker played 542 snaps this season and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 40 full-time edge defender. The Packers re-signed Perry to a five-year, $60MM deal, entrenching him as a big part of the franchise’s future.

Kerridge has played in 12 Packers games over the past two seasons.

Packers’ Nick Perry To Have Hand Surgery

September 21st, 2017 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links

Packers linebacker Nick Perry is set to undergo hand surgery, coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday. The timetable for his recovery is not clear at this time.

“Violent football player. He plays physical,” McCarthy said of Perry. “You look at his play style, that’s really part of his game, the violence he plays with, with his hands.”

Perry has been through this before. Last season, he underwent hand surgery and missed only two games before returning for the end of the regular season and postseason. Last year, he was able to play through the pain with a club on his surgically-repaired hand. It’s not yet known if he’ll go that route this time. After the operation, McCarthy says the team should have a better handle on his treatment plan.

Last year, Perry notched career highs in starts (12), sacks (11) and tackles (52). Prior to 2016, he had only 16 career starts and 12.5 sacks to his credit. The Falcons, Colts, and Jets all expressed interest in him this offseason, but the Packers retained him with a five-year, $60MM deal, making hm one of the league’s highest-paid 3-4 outside linebackers.

While Perry is out, the Packers will be relying more on August pickup Ahmad Brooks. Brooks missed the Week 2 game with a concussion, but he is expected to play on Sunday against the Bengals.

Packers Prioritizing Other Re-Ups Over Hyde

March 9th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Sam Robinson

One of several notable Packers free agents, Micah Hyde may be on his way out of the NFL’s smallest market. The Packers look to have slotted the defensive back at a lower-priority spot in their free agent queue, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.

Green Bay’s priorities seem to be Nick Perry, T.J. Lang and Jared Cook, per Silverstein. The Perry accord may already be done, with Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reporting the parties have agreed to a deal that will keep Perry in Wisconsin.

Not factoring in any Perry agreement yet, the Packers have $37MM in cap space. That would be enough for the traditionally free agency-averse team to re-sign at least two of these players. Cook, though, has other suitors who may be willing to pay more in the Lions and Bills. Lang was set on hitting free agency but was planning to give the Packers the option of matching whatever offers he received.

Hyde has played in Green Bay for four seasons, functioning as a return man, safety and slot corner for the perennial NFC contenders. He has not shown the ability the aforementioned UFAs have, though.

Packers To Re-Sign LB Nick Perry

March 9th, 2017 at 7:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers are re-signing outside linebacker Nick Perry, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Perry’s third Packers contract will be worth $60MM over five years, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Perry will receive and $18.5MM signing bonus. In terms of AAV, Perry’s deal will fall into fifth place among 3-4 outside linebackers in terms of per-year dollars. The Packers now employ two of the top-five players here, with Clay Matthews‘ $13.2MM-per-year deal ranking third in that hierarchy.

The first three years of this deal will be quite player-friendly. Perry’s total cash flow in 2018 will hit $20.8MM, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). For the first three years, that figure jumps to $39MM.

Last year, Perry had career highs in starts (12), sacks (11) and tackles (52). Perry entered the year with only 16 starts and 12.5 sacks across 46 appearances. He entered free agency at just the right time and picked up interest from multiple clubs in need of a difference-maker in the front seven. The Falcons, Colts, and Jets were among the teams in the mix for him.

After Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram, and Jason Pierre-Paul came off the board, Perry stood as our No. 1 edge defender on the open market. On my Top 50 list, which rates players by earning power, he was No. 18 overall.

The Packers still have free agents of their own to address, including Eddie Lacy, Julius Peppers, James Starks, T.J. Lang, J.C. Tretter, Jared Cook, and Micah Hyde. Green Bay entered today with $37MM-plus in cap space, so retaining multiple other members of this group isn’t out of the question for this build-from-within franchise. Hyde, though, is expected to depart.

This comes a year after Perry re-signed to stay in Green Bay after tepid interest elsewhere, but after a standout season that came in what amounted to a second contract year, the soon-to-be 27-year-old edge player won’t come nearly as cheap. This continues the Packers’ pattern of prioritizing their own, following re-signings of Perry in 2016 and keeping the likes of Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga a year prior once they became UFAs. Perry will miss officially hitting the open market by a few hours.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.