What the Patriots Are Getting in Malcolm Perry

New England claims the 2020 seventh-round pick off waivers from the Miami Dolphins

The New England Patriots had wild success with an undersized former Miami Dolphins slot receiver once upon a time, and they added a player of similar stature when they claimed 2020 seventh-round pick Malcolm Perry off waivers.

Perry was waived by Miami on Tuesday despite having an impressive showing in training camp and in the preseason, a victim of the Dolphins' depth at the position.

Back in 2007, the Patriots acquired undersized wide receiver Wes Welker from Miami, but that time in a trade for second- and seventh-round picks, after Welker initially had entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

Welker obviously was more of a proven commodity when the Patriots acquired him, but Perry had intriguing potential enough that he's somebody the Dolphins no doubt would have liked to bring back to their practice squad had he cleared waivers.

Along with playing wide receiver, Perry also has the versatility to play some running back if needed and return punts.

As a rookie in 2020, Perry played nine games with two starts and had nine catches for 92 yards, including a touchdown in the season finale at Buffalo. Perry also had three rushing attempts and returned one punt. 

“Malcolm is a tough kid, a hard-working kid," Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said Wednesday. "He’s smart. I wish him all the best."

Perry becomes the fifth Miami player on the Patriots' 53-man roster. The others are running back Brandon Bolden, center Ted Karras and linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who also had brief stints with the Dolphins between two stays in New England, as well as defensive tackle Davon Godchaux.