One of the late Al Davis’ final draft picks, Terrelle Pryor’s time as a quarterback in the NFL lacked consistency as he never really found his footing as a passer despite stardom at Ohio State before having his college career cut short due to the Buckeyes’ improper benefits scandal that Pryor was at the center of. Forcing Pryor into the supplemental draft, where Davis and the Raiders took a chance on the dual-threat quarterback.
Pryor would earn the starting job with the Raiders entering the 2013 season, coming out strong with a handful of big plays as a runner. Famously breaking the NFL’s record for longest run by a quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but inconsistent play along with an injury suffered against the New York Giants would push Pryor down the depth chart as undrafted free agent Matt McGloin stole the job from Pryor in the second half of the season.
That offseason the Raiders would move on from the Pryor project as they would draft Derek Carr in the second round, moving on from Pryor and sending the quarterback through a revolving door of camp invites. Each NFL team Pryor tried to latch onto deciding that he simply wasn’t good enough to play quarterback in the pros. A harsh reality that Pryor had to accept after jumping from team to team without success after his run in Oakland came to an end.
In an attempt to discover a second chapter to his NFL career, Pryor finally decided to make the move that many had wished he would make by switching from quarterback to wide receiver. Taking a chance at utilizing his playmaking tools at a position that would emphasize his athleticism without the drawback of his limitations as a passer.
Pryor would come home to Ohio to take his shot at a position change and a comeback, linking up with the Browns where he managed to get a look at receiver during his first season with the team. Playing in three games and catching just one pass for 42 yards during a year where Pryor was still learning the position after putting all of his focus on becoming a successful quarterback for so long.
This offseason, Pryor has turned heads as he has been impressing new head coach Hue Jackson with a collection of big plays in training camp. Including two very impressive touchdowns during the Browns training camp practice at Pryor’s old stomping grounds at Ohio State.
While at the Horseshoe this weekend, Pryor would haul in a 75 yard bomb from RGIII before showing off some of his endzone abilities with an equally impressive six-yard catch in the corner of the endzone where Pryor used his height to win a 50-50 ball with the cornerback. Showing just how far he has come in just two years of giving the wideout position his full attention.
Terrelle Pryor's 75-yd TD catch from today. pic.twitter.com/UifpnCHMJl
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) August 6, 2016
Terrelle Pryor with the first touchdown of the day. pic.twitter.com/RrKEuePois
— Dan Labbe (@dan_labbe) August 6, 2016
Linking up with his old head coach in Oakland with Hue Jackson now in charge in Cleveland, Pryor has impressed his former and now current coach so far. Jackson mentioning that he wanted to ask Pryor to make the switch to receiver before he came to the Browns when the two were briefly reunited last year with the Bengals when Pryor failed to crack the team as a quarterback.
“He’s done a tremendous job,” Jackson said about Pryor’s training camp via the Browns official website. “There are a lot of guys that I can say that about, but he’s definitely one. He has taken this opportunity and he is trying to make the most of it.”
“I didn’t have enough confidence to ask him to change positions,” Jackson said about wanting to move Pryor to receiver last year with the Bengals. “And that’s why we let him go — to be honest with you — because I felt like he needed to make a decision about what he needed to do.”
Jackson’s comments seem to indicate that the head coach is planning on using Pryor in the offense this season as the noted offensive genius will need to find a playmaker for the first month of the season while he awaits Josh Gordon’s return. Making Pryor a player who could make the most of the opportunity during Gordon’s absence as Jackson could hand his former quarterback a prominent role at wideout right away depending on his preseason performances.
Back with a coach that knows his athletic tools and is familiar with his talents, Pryor appears to be on the fast track to success at long last at a position that many had long wondered if Pryor would be able to successfully switch to. After a long road of struggles at quarterback, it appears that Pryor is finally on the road to a successful end to his NFL journey. If Hue Jackson can find the right way to use his talents, there is a chance that Pryor could be a breakout player in 2016 on a new look Browns roster.
