When the Bucs announced their final 53-man roster following training camp, many fans and analysts alike were perplexed. Most were awaiting how the team would handle their surplus of wide receivers, and how they went about it turned out to be a surprise.

The top four slots were set. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage and Julio Jones were all locks to make the team.

But how would the Bucs handle the back half of the wide receiver group? Would they keep six or seven receivers?

Surely Tyler Johnson had secured himself a roster spot with a stellar preseason, right? Would Scotty Miller, he of the infamous nine-route catch in Green Bay, even make the team? Did any of the undrafted rookies do enough to secure a final roster spot? So many questions were up in the air.

Then, as the cuts were announced, something curious developed.

Johnson was waived. Miller made the team, as did second-year speedster Jaelon Darden. Tampa Bay ended up keeping a seventh receiver, too.

Only it wasn’t Deven Thompkins, a promising undrafted free agent with speed and special teams ability. It wasn’t Kaylon Geiger Sr., either, despite a strong camp from the undrafted rookie.

Instead, Breshad Perriman, an afterthought in the minds of most, had secured the seventh and final spot on the wide receiver depth chart.

Bucs Showed How They Valued Certain Skill Sets

Perriman had missed all but one preseason game with a hamstring injury that he suffered very early in training camp. Prior to the ailment, he hadn’t stood out against the other receivers vying for a roster spot. And despite head coach Todd Bowles’ comments on the subject, Perriman does not have a long or extensive history as a special teams ace.

So, what gives? When it comes down to Perriman vs. Johnson, it is almost as if the two players play different positions.

Bucs WR Tyler Johnson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tyler Johnson

Johnson is almost exclusively a “big slot” player. As an outside receiver, he just does not have the acceleration or long speed to succeed in that role. With those physical limitations, he would have to be an elite route runner to still be a viable option on the outside. Unfortunately for Johnson, he isn’t a plus there either. And so, he is at his best when playing closer to the line of scrimmage, where slot corners are typically shorter and slower.

By evening the physical playing field, Johnson becomes a more viable option where he can use a good catch radius and decent ball skills to work the middle of the field. And you see this born out in his usage. Between 2020 and 2021, Johnson was used in the slot on about 40% of his snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Looking at how the Bucs used him this preseason, that slot usage rate jumps to 84.1%.

All of this adds up to a chain-mover. Over his two-year career, including the playoffs, Johnson has recorded 55 catches for 605 yards and two touchdowns. That’s good for exactly 11 yards per catch. His career-long reception is just 23 yards. But over half of those catches have gone for first downs. He isn’t a big-play guy by nature, and his skill set is not one that can change a game.

Breshad Perriman

Bucs WR Breshad Perriman – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Perriman, on the other hand, is almost exclusively an outside receiver. In 2019, the Bucs used Perriman outside on 76.1% of his snaps.

Perriman has legit game-changing speed, similar to Miller and Cyril Grayson Jr. This is speed that defenses have to account for by ensuring they either a) match up a speed corner with enough coverage abilities to stay with Perriman on deep routes, or b) bracket/shade a safety to Perriman’s side of the field in order to dissuade quarterbacks from throwing into double coverage. If they don’t, Perriman can eat up huge chunks of yards over just a couple of catches.

To illustrate this difference, I took a look at the average air yards he and Johnson saw on passes their way. For Perriman in 2019 (when he had a solid sample size with the Bucs), his Targeted Air Yards average was 16.1. Compare that to Johnson, who last year posted a TAY average of just 8.0.

Looking at the Bucs’ receivers 1-4, you can start to understand why the team prioritized the outside role over the slot role when making a decision on who would be WR7. Chris Godwin is obviously the starting slot or “Y” receiver. Russell Gage is arguably better as a “Y” although he can play the “Z” role (flanker) as an outside receiver lined up just off the line of scrimmage.

Jones has made a career as an “X” (split end), although those days may be behind him. He can still be an effective “Y” and “Z” in the Bucs scheme. Evans can play anything the team needs him to, including the “Y” if players are lost to injury. He proved that last year in the playoffs. But in an ideal world, he is the “X.”

Tampa Bay’s top four receivers can all play the slot role that Johnson excels at. What not all of them can or should play is the “X.” And that’s where Perriman’s skill set lies. He is an outside “X” or “Z” guy.

So, when we look at the Bucs’ decision to keep Perriman on the roster and waive Johnson, it’s not a question of which guy played better or is better at being a general wide receiver. At that spot on the roster, the question becomes “What skill set do we value most?” and “Which receiver is best at that skill set?”

The Bucs made the decision to prioritize outside speed. And when you compare Johnson and Perriman in that department, well, there is no comparison.