Perry Hoping NFL Debut Can Serve As Springboard

Malcolm Perry's patience finally have paid off now that he's made his NFL debut, but he's now got his sights on bigger and better things.

The Miami Dolphins rookie seventh-rounth pick not only played his first NFL action against the Los Angeles last Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, he was in the starting lineup for the 28-17 victory.

With the Dolphins dealing with injuries at running back and wide receiver Isaiah Ford having been traded to New England this week, the multi-talented Perry could be in line for an even bigger role against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday after playing seven snaps in his debut.

Perry took two snaps as a Wildcat quarterback against the Rams, bringing him back to his days as a record-setter at Navy.

The Dolphins currently have him listed as a running back/wide receiver, though running routes and catching passes is the area where he has the least experience.

“I was extremely happy," Perry said. "It was finally fun to get out there, get on the field and experience my first NFL game. It’s good to get that under my belt. As far as progressing as a receiver, I think I’ve come a long way from training at Navy to the pre-draft process and stuff like that. Like everybody else in the locker room would tell you, they have a long way to go. There is room for improvement. That’s my mind-set going forward.”

Perry's NFL debut coincided with the starting debut of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, with whom he showed a good rapport during training camp practices.

“It’s always good to have that history with somebody, all the way back to camp, throwing and catching with Tua," Perry said. "It’s good to have that, and also coming out to practice every day with the mind-set that you want to get better and take every rep like it’s your last rep. Just having that mind-set mixed with the history of Tua is good to have.”

Perry was inactive for each of the Dolphins' first six games and spent that time trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible and working on his craft.

Fellow rookie Lynn Bowden got the nod over Perry four times in the first six games, but Bowden had to miss a practice last week because of the birth of a daughter. Head coach Brian Flores said Perry earned his opportunity with his work in practice.

Wide receivers coach Josh Grizzard also praised Perry's practice approach.

“He’s just worked so hard since he’s gotten here and kept his head down and just keeps improving from week to week," Grizzard said. "You can tell that he’s committed to details. There were some things that we wanted him on and he did a good job with it. So it’s just a testament to him of coming in and grinding and getting the chance to go out there and have an opportunity. I was happy for him.”

The hope now is that Perry can use his debut, which featured one catch for 10 yards and one rushing attempt as a Wildcat quarterback that went nowhere when Aaron Donald met him in the backfield, as a springboard the rest of his rookie season and beyond.

There's certainly an opportunity on which Perry can seize because Ford was the team's primary slot receiver.

While he has been compared before to New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, a former college quarterback himself, Perry says he never went out of his way to idolize another slot receiver.

"I’ve been too busy focusing on what the Dolphins ask me to do," Perry said. "I think Isaiah Ford was a great role model. I looked up to him a lot and tried to model my preparation and practice after him. He worked hard. That would probably be the guy that I’d say I looked up to as a slot receiver in the league. And if I didn’t think I could play in the league, I don’t think I’d be here today. I definitely think I do (belong). It’s just a matter of time and a matter of reps that I get to my full potential.”