ESPN's Mike Clay tiered his top-16 free agent running backs heading into the festivities next month. Perine got placed in Tier V as the second-to-last running back on the list.
"After failing to stand out during his time in Washington and briefly in Miami, Perine settled in as a reliable backup/complement to Joe Mixon in Cincinnati during the past three seasons," Clay wrote. "The 2017 fourth-round pick appeared in 16 regular-season games all three years, with his best work coming in 2022 (681 yards and six TDs on 133 touches).
"Perine showed some potential as a lead back in 2022, producing 330 yards and four TDs on 63 touches during three games Mixon was absent, and he actually forced his way into a larger role down the stretch. He will look for a committee gig this offseason."
Perine should be an option for Cincinnati in free agency. Spotrac projects him to command just $3 million on a new deal, and he's shown to be a great fit in the Bengals' high-volume passing attack.
Cutting Mixon, re-signing Perine, and adding an explosive running back of the future from the draft ranks is a very enticing path for the Bengals' running back room this offseason.
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