AP Photo
Denzel Perryman
Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022 | 2 a.m.
A telling silence lingered as the Raiders returned to the practice field for the first time since Jon Gruden resigned from his head-coaching position after homophobic, misogynistic and racist e-mails surfaced last October.
Typically ever-present music and chatter were nowhere to be found as players went through their stretching routines. Then linebacker Denzel broke the somber mood, waving and smiling as he sprinted past the media. “Yeah, we’re still practicing today,” he yelled as the team began to huddle.
Perryman was an energizing and steadying force all season for a Raiders’ team that broke its five-year playoff drought. In his first year with the franchise, the 29-year-old Perryman set the tone defensively with hard hits and frequent tackles. He actually led the NFL in tackles late in the season before missing two games with an ankle injury, and still finished sixth in the league with a team-high 154 total tackles.
The career year for the 5-foot-11, 240-pound veteran—slightly undersized by NFL standards—landed him a spot in the Pro Bowl, set for February 6 at noon at Allegiant Stadium. He’ll participate alongside three teammates, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, defensive end Maxx Crosb and punter A.J. Cole.
“Denzel is a special cat, man,” Crosby said shortly after selections for the game were announced in December. “The way he plays, you can tell it matters to him. The way he hits people, I would not want to be hit by that man. It doesn’t matter how small he is. He puts a dent in everybody. He’s a different type of player. He’s relentless, brings leadership and he’s a guy you can trust back there.”
In a reversal from the past several seasons, defense led the way for the Raiders for large parts of this season, including during much of a four-game win streak to end the regular season. It was arguably the Raiders’ best stop unit in more than a decade, after the franchise had struggled on that side of the ball in part because of the prolonged absence of an impact middle linebacker.
Las Vegas thought it had that void filled going into the season, when the coaching staff gave fifth-year veteran Nicholas Morrow a starting spot and raved about a potential breakout. But Morrow broke his foot in training camp and landed on injured reserve.
That led the Raiders to trade for Perryman—with the Carolina Panthers, in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick—less than two weeks before the season began. Gus Bradley, Las Vegas’ first-year defensive coordinator, had spent the previous four seasons coaching Perryman when both were with the Chargers, and Bradley vouched for him to Gruden and then-general manager Mike Mayock.
Bradley and Perryman had actually discussed a potential reunion in Las Vegas during the offseason, before Perryman signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Panthers. He fell out of favor almost as soon as he arrived in Carolina, losing a presumed starting role after missing most of training camp with an injury.
Perryman fit in better with the Raiders almost immediately. He was instrumental during Las Vegas’ three-game win streak to start the season, and by the next home game, his No. 50 jersey soon began dotting the Allegiant Stadium stands.
As the season progressed, fans took to social media with pleas to lock up Perryman long-term, since he’s only guaranteed to remain on the Raiders’ roster for one more year. During a season-ending news conference, Perryman acknowledged the fan support, but downplayed it.
“I’m very appreciative,” he said. “I was just given an opportunity, and I took full advantage. As far as all the success and everything I was able to do this season, I give full credit to my teammates and everyone in this building.”
Perryman’s feedback hasn’t all been positive. The weakness of his game is in pass coverage; it’s the only major area where he rated below average this season by Pro Football Focus’ grading metrics. It’s something he heard about frequently from fans … so much so that he sarcastically invited his detractors to train him.
“For all the people that tweet at me and tell me I’m garbage in pass coverage, maybe in my offseason, all those people that are bashing me about pass coverage can come teach me how to cover receivers and tight ends,” Perryman said, grinning all the while.
Jokes aside, Perryman knows he’s becoming a beloved athlete in Las Vegas, a city he had never even visited before the trade from Carolina. He’s viewing his Pro Bowl selection as a way to become more acquainted with a place he now calls home.
“I haven’t experienced Vegas yet. I’ve been more focused on ball,” Perryman said. “I guess [with] the events and stuff … on the Strip or whatever they’ve got going on [for the Pro Bowl], I will be experiencing that.”
VEGAS PLAYERS JOINING PERRYMAN AT THE PRO BOWL
Left to right: Raiders A.J. Cole, Maxx Crosby and Hunter Renfrow
A.J. Cole - Punter
The third-year specialist routinely flipped fields in the Raiders’ favor this year, and got rewarded with his first Pro Bowl berth. He led the NFL with an average of 50 yards per punt and memorably forced a fumble that a teammate recovered on a Chiefs’ punt return at Allegiant Stadium. A non-rostered rookie minicamp invite in 2019, Cole has overcome long odds to reach the peak of his position in a short amount of time.
Maxx Crosby - Defensive End
The third-year edge rusher made it a goal to reach his first Pro Bowl this season, and he got emotional reflecting on his journey after he did. Crosby also expressed some surprise, since he only had eight sacks on the year—two fewer than in his rookie season—but he led the league in pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, and often looked like the Raiders’ most valuable player.
Hunter Renfrow - Wide Receiver
Renfrow was a late replacement for injured Chargers receiver Keenan Allen, but the Raiders’ third-year slot receiver had the numbers to merit a selection on his own. He racked up the third-most single-season receptions in franchise history with 103 catches, which he turned into 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. Renfrow kept the Raiders’ offense afloat over the second half of the season when injuries hampered a pair of team captains and former Pro Bowlers, Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs.
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or
