The Bengals lose another one of their own, as the Broncos are signing former Bengals RB Samaje Perine to a 2 year/$7.5M contract, with another $1M in incentives, per Tom Pelissero.
Perine had been with the Bengals for parts of the last 4 seasons. He had worked his way up from being a practice squadder to 3rd string and special teams, and eventually to 2nd on the depth chart in 2021, replacing the departed Giovani Bernard.
Perine was relied on rather heavily, considering Joe Mixon’s status as the lead back. His work in pass protection largely afforded him these opportunities. And as the snaps started to accumulate, he was able to make the most of his opportunities. Though not the kind of player you would think of as a traditional pass catching back, he was able to break off big plays catching passes out of the backfield. He also impressed heavily when he got the bulk of the carries when Mixon was out injured.
While it would have been nice to retain Perine, the contract would not have made sense for the Bengals to match, given the abundance of suitable replacements that can be had at a fraction of the price.
It remains to be seen if Joe Mixon will be retained at his current salary. But either way, an addition at RB is likely to be made during the draft, and perhaps a new face is brought in during free agency, as well.
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