Oakland Raiders Training Camp Profile: Terrelle Pryor

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The quarterback position is believed to be football’s most important area which has presented difficulty for the Oakland Raiders for about a decade now. There has not been a franchise caliber signal caller since Rich Gannon retired, and Carson Palmer failed to live up to expectations. Now Oakland hopes to change their fortunes after suffering 10 consecutive losing seasons. Here is a player that could be part of the puzzle.

Oakland made headlines by selecting Terrelle Pryor from Ohio State in the third round of 2011’s  NFL Supplemental Draft. Pryor, of course, chose to skip his senior year after OSU’s infamous tattoo scandal. Some were skeptical given his perceived character issues, but he seems to have a new outlook. When trying to dissect Pryor’s skill set there is some intrigue.

This player brings great speed in multiple ways. He has an ability to break away from pressure and create large gains on designed runs. Pryor had 17 rushing touchdowns in college which demonstrates this dynamic. At 6’6’’ he possesses an ideal build, but unfortunately there is a major weakness. The former Buckeye only completed 14 of 30 passes during his one career start leading to more questions about accuracy . Oakland’s OTAs may not have done much to help his cause according to some.

Various media reports state that Pryor has “looked inconsistent” during these practice sessions which either points to a lack of progression or is simply an isolated incident. As he continues to fight through his own obstacles there is also some competition from others.

Matt Flynn signed with the Raiders after one year with the Seattle Seahawks. Flynn’s two starts with the Green Bay Packers were very impressive as he collected 731 total passing yards. Of course he was unable to see much action with Seattle after being surpassed by Russell Wilson, but his short throw accuracy could suit offensive coordinator Greg Olsen’s scheme.

Tyler Wilson was a fourth-round selection during the 2013 NFL Draft. While at Arkansas, Wilson finished with 52 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He shows good velocity on his throws and brings leadership to the table.

Predicting who will be under center Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts is a bit of a challenge. An open competition has already declared by head coach Dennis Allen, so it appears that Pryor’s opportunity to start will be as good as his counterparts given the fact that there is a total of three starts among this group. With a team that consistently looks to be in rebuilding mode, there would be little harm in giving him a chance.

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