Samaje Perine film review: The Chiefs get their Jet replacement
Perine has the skillset to be 2024's McKinnon, and maybe even an upgrade.
With training camp and the preseason in the rearview mirror, along with roster cuts and the “finalization” of the 53-man roster (that’s in quotes because there’s always movement that comes after cuts), one would think that Chiefs GM Brett Veach would be less busy these days. One would be wrong in that assumption.
Instead, Veach has been diligently churning the roster depth this week. It started with a pair of trades for defensive end Cameron Thomas and tight end Peyton Hendershot, and continued with the free agent acquisition of recently cut running back Samaje Perine, a multi-year veteran whose previous stops include Washington, Miami, Cincinnati, and most recently Denver.
The Chiefs signing Perine may come as a surprise to some people, but it really shouldn’t. While preseason fan favorite Carson Steele has done enough to earn a spot on the roster as a fullback, the reality is that the Chiefs’ running back room looked downgraded from last year. While starter Isiah Pacheco and rotational guy Clyde Edwards-Helaire were back (and again, I like Steele’s potential), there was a Jet-sized hole in the roster.
By that, of course, I mean Jerick McKinnon, who has spent the last three seasons playing a vital role for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. He’s been relied upon heavily as the 3rd down running back, particularly late in the season and in the playoffs, thanks to his intelligence both as a pass protector and as a receiver. McKinnon didn’t have the wheels he once did by the time last year’s playoffs came around, but his understanding of the offense and ability to be in the right spot at the right time (again, as both a receiver and in pass protection) were skills that did not look readily replaced oin the RB room (where Steele is a rookie and Clyde has never quite caught on as a 3rd down guy).
Enter Perine, who has spent much of his career filling that EXACT role.
Following the Chiefs signing Perine, I went back and watched a couple hundred of his snaps from last season with Denver, where he got plenty of work as a third down and passing game receiving option and/or blocker. I thought it would be good to examine whether or not he looks capable of stepping in and playing significant snaps for the Chiefs on obvious passing downs AND how he looked as a more high-snaps guy in the event Pacheco is injured.
And I have to say, it would’ve been tough to find a better fit for the exact role the Chiefs needed to replace in McKinnon. The short story is his skillset fits the bill as a guy who can jump in and take the place of a small but important piece of the Chiefs offense. The fit is good enough that (not to give it all away up front) I’d be surprised if he’s not RB2 sooner rather than later.
Let’s talk about what Perine does well in the pass game particularly, and how that (on paper) blends perfectly with what the Chiefs needed to add to the roster.