According to reports, outside linebacker Nick Perry will sign a five-year contract with the Green Bay Packers. Perry remains with the team where he has spent the first five seasons of his career.
#Packers are re-signing OLB Nick Perry, source said.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 9, 2017
Report: Nick Perry Re-Signs With the Green Bay Packers
After re-signing with the Green Bay Packers on a one-year deal last off-season, Nick Perry finally began looking like the player worthy of a first-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. With Julius Peppers finally starting to show his age and multiple injuries to Clay Matthews, Perry took advantage of his opportunities on all three downs. After bulking up and learning the nuances of Dom Capers hybrid ‘elephant’ position, Perry proved a stalwart against the run with 52 total tackles. There were several games including against the Bears, Lions, and Vikings where he simply looked unblockable. With four pass deflections and his first career interception, Perry showed more awareness in the passing game as well. Playing out the season with a club on his hand, he still managed career highs in almost every category. He started 12 games, six more than his previous season-high, including three playoff contests in which he added another seven total tackles and one sack.
Although used as a rotational player to this point in his career, Perry has gradually been granted more playing time when he is healthy. Health has been the major concern thus far, though. Tracing back to his college days, Perry has had issues with injuries that have prevented him from playing a full 16-game season thus far in his career. 2016 was looking like the first full season for the linebacker until he missed two games with a broken hand in the latter half of the year. Over his five-year career Perry has only played in 28 of a possible 80 games. Although he was placed on injured reserve his rookie season, Perry has been healthy for the playoffs the last four seasons where he has done some of his best work.
After an impressive junior season at USC, Perry entered the NFL as a powerful edge presence caught between positions. After redshirting his first year, Perry was utilized as a situational pass rusher until his junior season when he was able to produce 54 tackles and eight sacks in 12 games. Projected as an undersized 4-3 defensive end, the Packers converted Perry to outside linebacker in Dom Capers defensive scheme. His transition was halted during his rookie season as injuries prevented him from playing in fewer than six games. Growing pains and injuries piled up as the next three seasons were uneventful at best. He now enters the free agency market coming off his best season at the prime age of 26. He will undoubtedly be seeking a lucrative long-term deal after proving he can be a three-down player in this league.
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