A.T. Perry is ready to show his skills in a crowded Broncos receiver room

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A.T. Perry couldn’t quite believe the news.

Yes, he hadn’t played in the New Orleans Saints’ first four regular-season games, and he’d landed on the injured list with a variety of different designations — a hand injury, a hamstring issue, an illness — over the first month of the season. But when the Saints waived the second-year wide receiver last week, it came as “kind of a shock,” as he noted when reflecting on recent events while sitting in the Denver Broncos locker room this week.

“Just from the coaching standpoint, they felt like just in practice, I wasn’t making enough plays. But just when I got my opportunity to go in the game, I made sure I made those plays,” Perry said. “So it was kind of confusing for me.

Perry had 4 touchdowns and a 20.5-yard average per reception on 12 catches during Saints’ final 8 games last year. For a sixth-round pick, that’s a great season.

Consider this for a moment: Perry is one of just four wide receivers selected in the sixth round or later in the last 30 years to catch at least 4 touchdown passes in his rookie season, according to Stathead.com. One of the others, Marques Colston, went on to break most Saints career receiving records before retiring.

New Orleans changed offensive schemes in the offseason after dismissing Pete Carmichael, the team’s longtime offensive coordinator who landed on Sean Payton’s Denver staff. But Perry ached for a chance to show new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak — a former Broncos assistant — what he could do.

“I just wanted to play in that offense,” he said. “‘DC’ [Derek Carr] was just throwing the ball around, and I just wanted to be a part of that. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. So I was on active the whole time … but I was inactive each week just because they said it was my hand.”

New Broncos WR A.T. Perry, on being waived by the Saints last week: “It was kind of a shock that I was released, just for them to bring another O-lineman.”

Perry averaged 20.5 yards per catch last year and had 4 touchdowns on 12 receptions.

Full answer: “I feel like, I mean,… pic.twitter.com/pqpwbesPoy

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 11, 2024

Last week, Perry was out and offensive lineman Connor McGovern — an ex-Bronco himself — was in. New Orleans wanted to slip Perry through to the practice squad. But it’s not as simple as that, even if the player isn’t claimed off waivers. That player — Perry in this case — must say, “Yes.”

And after the way things devolved in New Orleans, the Wake Forest product — who was a standout at the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl practices — wasn’t feeling it.

“They wanted me to come back on practice squad, but I just wanted to take my talents just somewhere else where I can get on the field, have an opportunity to play,” Perry said. “So, I’m just glad to be here, you know what I’m saying? Just meeting the staff, meeting the players just feel real, genuine and real around here, so I love that.”

New Orleans’ loss is Denver’s gain.

A.T. PERRY FITS THE SEAN PAYTON TEMPLATE

At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Perry’s length and wingspan is in Sean Payton’s wheelhouse as to what he wants from receivers. Further, Perry spent his rookie season and the early part of this campaign soaking in all that he could from Michael Thomas, the three-time Pro Bowl Saints wide receiver who had three 100-catch seasons while playing under Payton.

One of the key lessons from Thomas was the first one: Details matter, even your posture. That’s what caused Thomas to initiate the dialogue last year with the then-rookie.

“He actually approached me,” Perry said. “It’s funny, I was in practice, I had my arms crossed and he said, ‘Don’t cross your arms.’

“And, yeah, from then on … he always was in my ear, just coming to me, talking to me and making sure that I know what I’m supposed to do and make sure I go out there and play with confidence, too.

“… I really do appreciate Mike T, just what he’s done for the Saints and, what he’s done for me.”

New Broncos WR A.T. Perry spent his time with the Saints learning from 3-time Pro Bowl receiver Michael Thomas. “It’s funny, I was in practice, I had my arms crossed and he said, ‘Don’t cross your arms,'” Perry said. “And from then on, … he always was in my ear, just coming to… pic.twitter.com/y6TnzFoHVG

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 11, 2024

The way Thomas practices and goes about his day-to-day work is how Perry wants to conduct himself.

“Just going in every day, dialed in, always asking questions, always with the QBs, just being a pro,” Perry said. “I was thankful to be around him, actually learn from him, talk to him. I still to this day ask him questions. I text him. That was just great for me just to learn from him.”

Thomas’ attention to detail rubbed off on Perry so well that when asked what area he most wanted to work to improve now that he’s back with Carmichael and on the Broncos, he had the answer coaches would want to hear:

“Blocking.”

“I feel I could be a whole lot better with that,” Perry said.

But that’s just the beginning.

“Just keep working on the same things that I know that I’m good at,” he added. “Just getting off the line, stretching the field, quickness, agility, catching the ball, anything, running routes.”

Now it’s a question of where Perry will line up. There are options for a Broncos team that is looking to develop big, explosive targets.

“I feel like I can do everything, like just run routes, playing outside, slot, help at tight end,” Perry said,. “I just want to stretch the field, just get open. So, I just take care of the little things.”

And perhaps they can add up to something big for a wide receiver the Broncos didn’t expect to see available.

“[If] I just focus on those little details, big moments — it’s nothing to me,” Perry said. “So, just keep stacking days, just keep going.

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