Denzel Perryman

The Texans targeted Perryman this offseason as they continue their effort of signing experienced defensive players to short-term deals. It's unclear exactly what he'll offer, as he has struggled to remain on the field consistently, playing more than 12 games only three times in his eight-year career. We got a glimpse of his upside in 2021, when he racked up 154 tackles across 15 contests. Perryman should get every chance to do that again in 2023 as a starting outside linebacker, and perhaps he can produce while paired with defensive-minded head coach DeMeco Ryans. However, given his inability to stay on the field and the fact that he's entering his age-30 season, a cautious outlook is prudent.

Perryman was the Raiders' only linebacker to surpass the century mark in tackles last season, and he did so with 154 total take-downs (102 solo) while pacing the position unit in defensive snaps by a wide margin. He's back in Las Vegas on the final year of his current deal, and once again poised to play a significant role after making his first career Pro Bowl in 2021.

Perryman signed a two-year deal with the Panthers this offseason after spending the first six years of his career with the Chargers. While he's proven a reliable run-stuffer, Perryman struggles in pass coverage and staying healthy. In fact, he's yet to complete a full campaign. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old projects as Carolina's starting middle linebacker this season and has averaged five tackles per game as a pro.

For a second consecutive season, Perryman failed to play in 10 or more games, missing the second half of the 2018 season thanks to an LCL injury. That evidently didn't phase the Chargers, as the team re-signed the veteran middle linebacker to a two-year deal in the offseason. On a per-game basis, Perryman is arguably one of the better IDP linebackers around, boasting four games with seven or more tackles despite technically playing just six full games in 2018. Availability will always remain an issue, but fantasy owners interested in acquiring Perryman should feel confident in his production when he's on the field; just be prepared for the likelihood that he won't be entirely healthy in 2019.

Perryman has yet to complete a full 16-game season in the NFL, as the 2015 second-round pick has played in 33 of the 48 games to begin his career. The Chargers run defense was noticeably better last season after Perryman returned from preseason ankle surgery, but the 24-year-old's lengthy medical issues should be of note to IDP owners hoping for a breakout in 2018.

Perryman once again missed time in 2016 thanks to nagging knee and hamstring injuries. Factoring in last season, the 23-year-old has now missed six games in the last two years, and that's not counting at least two other games in which the young linebacker succumbed to injuries early in the contest. With Manti Te'o gone, Perryman will take over as the lead ILB and should be a relatively decent IDP option when healthy. It's the “when healthy” part that should give IDP owners pause, as there certainly appears to be less-risky options out there.

After Shazier, it's probably Perryman who has the most tantalizing upside outside of the top tiers. His total of 73 tackles from last year might not seem impressive at a glance, but it's actually incredible because he played just 386 defensive snaps. Sure, a handful of his tackles were likely accumulated on his 106 special teams snaps, but this is clearly a highly-unusual rate of production. In 2016, Perryman's play count will likely approach the 1,000-snap mark. That doesn't mean he'll make 200-plus tackles in 2016, but it's hard to argue that the possibility should be ruled out. Buy.

Perryman is a nasty hitter who is good against the run, and he is expected to push Manti Te'o and Donald Butler for playing time as a rookie.