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Terrelle Pryor switching to wide receiver

By Cody Williams

Aug 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) scrambles during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Seahawks 21-16. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) scrambles during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Seahawks 21-16. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Terrelle Pryor, who said he didn’t know how to catch last year, is now moving to wide receiver.

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Terrelle Pryor hasn’t had the most traditional run to start his NFL career. The former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback was immersed in controversy during his time in Columbus, which ultimately resulted in his dismissal from the program and forcing him to enter the supplemental draft in 2011.

While he started games at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders in 2013, there has been a number of voices in his ear telling him that he should switch to wide receiver to better utilize his physical skills. Pryor and his camp have consistently ignored those voices…until now.

According to ProFootballTalk, Pryor’s agent Drew Rosenhaus has begun telling teams that his client is making the move to wide receiver. This announcement from Rosenhaus comes the same day that he was cut from Cincinnati Bengals and is now available to sign with any team via waivers.

The prospect of 6’4”, 233-pound Pryor– who ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash while at Ohio State– playing receiver is undeniably intriguing. Adding to the intrigue, though, is that fact that Pryor was quoted just last year as saying that he “didn’t know how to catch.” I’m not the end-all voice regarding football matters, but catching seems like a pretty vital part to playing wide receiver at any level.

Hoping that Pryor has now learned how to catch in light of this news, this could be a move that will bring new life to his career. Pryor never showed any signs of ever developing into something more than a mediocre quarterback on an abysmal team. If he is able to pick up route-running (and, once again, catching) and all of the intricacies of playing receiver at the pro level, he has the physical talent to succeed in his new position.

More than anything, though, this will almost surely get at least one team to take a shot on Pryor coming into the 2015 NFL season. After being cut by the Bengals, it’s hard to think of a team that would be willing to bring Pryor in to be anything more than another body to get reps in at camp. At receiver, someone can legitimately give him a shot to reinvent himself and eventually carve out a role for himself.

This could very well be something that flames out miserably for Pryor, but he and his agent are certainly taking a calculated risk to try and give his client even more value going forward in his career.

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