Kirby Lee- USA TODAY Sports
UPDATE: Pryor has been claimed off of waivers by the Cleveland Browns
After being released for the second time this offseason, Terrelle Pryor has finally decided to switch positions in hopes of keeping his NFL dreams alive. That’s why the Oakland Raiders should roll the dice and sign their former starting quarterback to compete for a backup wide receiver spot.
I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t a fan of the idea of re-signing him as a backup quarterback, but the position switch completely changes my stance on Pryor’s potential return to Oakland.
Since the end of the 2015 season, Pryor has seen stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals come to disappointing ends. Put simply, he doesn’t have the arm talent to compete for an NFL quarterback job. However, he does have the athleticism and instincts to make plays with a football in his hands.
During his days as the Raiders’ starting quarterback, Pryor more than proved he’s capable of racking up yards with his feet. In 2013, Pryor ran the ball 83 times for 576 yards and two touchdowns, showing electric open-field abilities and natural instincts to make defenders miss. Now that he’s open to making the switch to wide receiver, teams such as the Raiders can more easily utilize those abilities.
It certainly wouldn’t be an easy transition, and a spot on the Raiders’ 53-man roster would be far from guaranteed for Pryor. The potential is there for him to make his mark and secure a spot on the wide receiver depth chart if given the opportunity, though.
If he was brought in, Pryor would battle with players such as Kenbrell Thompkins, Kris Durham and Brice Butler for the final spot or two on the wide receiver depth chart. Given his athleticism, it’s not out of the question to think Pryor could win a job – assuming he has NFL-caliber hands.
Pryor was a fan favorite during his days in Oakland, so Silver and Black faithful would obviously approve of the addition. Seeing as it would cost the Raiders nearly nothing to give him a shot during training camp, it’s worth the time to see if Pryor can make an impact out wide.
Will the Raiders give him a shot? No one knows. Should they give him a shot? Absolutely.
