Akron Alumni connect for last minute goal in 1-0 Win Over Ecuador
May 26, 2016LeBron named to 10th All-NBA First Team
May 26, 2016Even Dwayne Bowe had more yards and receptions for the 2015 Cleveland Browns than Terrelle Pryor. Yet, as the calendar is close to turning to June, it is Pryor who sees his name still sitting on the Browns roster while Travis Benjamin, Brian Hartline, and Dwayne Bowe have all either signed elsewhere (Benjamin) or been waived (Hartline, Bowe). So, while the Browns selected four wide receivers in the 2016 NFL Draft, the coaching staff still has not given up the possibility of completing the conversion of the former quarterback into a legitimate NFL receiving weapon.
The enticement with Pryor has always been the potential given his size and speed combination. The 6-foot-6, 240 pound player plays with an athleticism rarely seen. However, Pryor will readily admit that such athleticism is not enough to be successful as his one reception (on eight targets) for 42 yards in 2015 demonstrates. Pryor noted “There are certain particular routes that I like to do better and you want to get reps in. That’s going to come with time. It’s my first offseason as a receiver. It hasn’t even been a year yet since I did it. Obviously, there are things that I want to keep working on and I will and I’ll get a lot better at it.”
Despite it having been less than a year since his conversion from NFL quarterback to receiver, Pryor is already on his second set of coaches with the Browns. However, having a new coaching staff might actually aid Pryor as the new offensive coaching staff led by head coach Hue Jackson has shifted the focus. The priority is now the ability to score points, which has not been lost on future Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas. “Offensively speaking, it’s great having an offensive head coach because he is actually the one running the offense. He is in there right behind the huddle after every play barking orders, correcting guys, getting things lined up exactly how he wants.
“People want to say defense wins championships but I think maybe that was a quote from the 90s. In today’s football you are going to win with offense. You’ve got to score points to win.”
And, Pryor is in full agreement with Thomas. “Having a guy like (senior offensive assistant) Al Saunders coaching me and his son, (offensive quality control/assistant wide receivers) Coach Bob (Saunders), obviously Hue (Jackson) – the background of the offensive side of the ball that those guys have, it’s awesome. Every day they come to work. I wake up at 5:45 a.m., and I’m ready to go. It’s exciting. I’m getting better. We all are.”
There are still a couple of months before he can prove to everyone the work he has been putting in running routes and learning the intracacies of the position will translate to the field of play, but Pryor is feeling much more confident now. “I feel like I’m there. I already transitioned. It’s just now continuing to get better at my craft and try to be the best I can be and do the things every single day to be the best player – like Coach Al says in our meeting room to all the receivers – ‘to be the best player you can be, better than the players in the room, player in the league, player in the division.’
Games played in September are often won in May and June. It is frustrating having to wait to see the results, but if Pryor has mastered the receiver position, then he will be another weapon for Hue Jackson to utilize this fall.
17 Comments
I’m rooting for him, because I think his athletic ability is once in a lifetime stuff, but we’ll see. He’s still got an uphill climb. That WR room is pretty grounded with a bunch of trained WRs that were drafted to be WRs.
6’6″ 240 lbs & good speed for his size … i’m starting to think they should make him a TE … he should be a decent red zone option.
What about the TE group? (personal preference for him is receiving-only TE)
I’m just thinking final roster. It won’t matter if he’s technically a “WR” or a “TE.” He’ll functionally be a receiver, and I’m not sure they can ultimately justify the roster spot.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/4f522b53427b78c76bafe92a59501d54/tumblr_mzg1ynul7E1s36aafo1_500.gif
What about both?
Moneyball!
No mention of his hands, or lack thereof. My impression in the little we saw was that in traffic he could, as Coach Sam used to say, hear a cat lapping milk at 30 yards. This is quite a transition for a player in his NFL middle age, and when the hitting starts if he doesn’t demonstrate obvious hands and heart really hope they use their finite coaching attention and reps on the young receivers they drafted.
At some point that position is just a name, right? Because I don’t think you would want Pryor lining up inline to block. He would just become a tight end who you always split out (which is basically what I think Seth DeValve will be). We may need to come up with a new position name for those guys… maybe Extra Wide Receivers (or XWRs).
Amen. I mean, it’s rare but it’s happened before. Antwaan Randle El was a pretty decent wide receiver. Michael Robinson made for a pretty decent fullback. Pryor seemed to make some good progress in his first year as a WR… no telling what another offseason of work will produce.
Exactly. Need at least two guys on the roster who can block inline AND catch a football if they’re forced to do so. The Jordan Cameron types need a new position name.
H-back
Whether or not they call him a tight end, they need to line him up there so that he’s covered by linebackers. That will create a mismatch and allow him to catch shorter passes for a guy with OK hands.
Also, if they’re smart, they’ll try to find ways to get him the ball in space on screens and even sweep runs. He is an amazing athlete, and he’s already shown the ability to outrun everyone on a pro defense. I say, use him like a taller Hawkins.
When I think of H-back, I tend to think of a guy who is half-fullback and half-tight end. A guy who can line up in the backfield. Is that not right? I want to keep hope of a XWR alive.
Haha…I won’t crush your hope and dreams.
What about PR/ receiver
Still a superfluous roster spot, if you keep 5 or 6 other WRs.