Hue’s Challenge: Develop Terrelle Pryor

 Posted by at 12:06 PM  Add comments
Aug 242011
 

Yes, the Raiders selected Terrelle Pryor with a third-round pick in the 2012 draft via the supplemental draft.

Most scouts believe Pryor isn’t a great fit as a quarterback in the NFL, but the Raiders didn’t waste a third-round pick to immediately covert him to receiver.

Pryor is lucky enough to possess elite physical tools. He ran a 4.4 second 40-yard dash at 6’5″ and 230 pounds. While he has a long way to go as a quarterback, he has all the needed physical tools to be successful.

With no long-term solution at quarterback on the roster, the Raiders are wise to take the chance on Pryor. If the team doesn’t feel like he is progressing as a quarterback he can be converted to receiver down the road.

Hue Jackson and Al Saunders will attempt to mold Pryor into an NFL quarterback and they have a few good things going for them. Pryor is motivated to be good. He’s not receiving a $30 million signing bonus and will need to put in the work to earn a big payday.

Warts aside, Pryor loves football and if he puts in the work the Raiders may indeed have themselves a quarterback. Pryor chose Ohio State because he believed they would prepare him for the pro game.

Pryor can also have an impact in special packages until he is ready to take the reigns of the offense. Putting Pryor on the field and giving the defense another player to worry about is never a bad idea.

It was a wise decision to take the chance on Pryor now, with no quarterbacks on the roster with contracts past the current season.

This isn’t wise because as history suggests the Raiders are unable to develop a young quarterback.

The Raiders haven’t developed quarterback since Jim Plunkett and even in Plunkett’s case you could argue he just wasn’t put in the right situation before he came to Oakland. It’s been a long time since the Raiders have developed a franchise quarterback and the Raiders haven’t selected the easiest of candidates to develop, Pryor is no exception.

Pryor will need to clean up his mechanics, make better decisions and learn the offense before the Raiders can lean on him as starter. He has a long way to go.

In many ways Jason Campbell is more typical of Raiders quarterback, an outcast veteran that didn’t have much success at his prior stops. Chances are if Campbell is effective in 2011 the Raiders will give Pryor a full two seasons of development before trying to turn to him as the guy to lead the team.

Risk is all about money committment and the new draft process and rookie wage scale made Pryor a low-risk, high-reward option for Al Davis and he instantly becomes the Raiders only long-term option and the pressure will be on the coaching staff to make something of Pryor as a quarterback.

  • Brad4d

    Suggest using him as Auburn used Kodi Burns. Listed and lined up as WR, but used primarily as a real fast and physical downfield blocker for the real catchers. Can single-handedly spring reverses as well.

    Return punts and QB the wildcat.

  • http://Raidersblog.com Chris Hansen

    Pryor isn’t fluid enough or agile enough to be effective returning punts. He is far too big as well. He’s never blocked, so hard to say he would be good at doing that right now.

    The Raiders best bet is to develop him as a QB for now and if he doesn’t work move him to receiver or tight end.

  • Williamfoote4

    raidas may not have developed qb in the past, but jackson and saunders have. recall what jackson did for the offense last year. ask when was last time raidas scored more than 400 pts in a season!

  • Michael Ray Starnes

    The physical contribution  Pryor brings to the RAIDERS  is SUPER BOWL bound, but the MENTAL AND EMOIONAL aspect is the question..If he stay focus, find a positve mentor to follow off the field, with living on life’s terms. Being young and finding all kinds of friends for what he can do for them financially, he needs to be aware. He wake up everyday, inbeded with the three L’S LOOK, LISTEN AND LEARN. He then will inherit the three R’S, RESPONSIBLE,RELIABLE AND RESILIANT. HE WILL SURPRISE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND CRITICS.