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15 Bold Predictions: No. 6: Terrelle Pryor will shine at receiver

By Ryan Disdier

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One year ago, during my first installment of my “Bold Predictions,” I made the rather ludicrous prediction that Terrelle Pryor, who was in Seattle as a backup quarterback at the time, would end up playing wide receiver for the defending champs in 2014.

Obviously, that didn’t happen, as Pryor bounced around from team to team, most recently being cut by the Bengals before being signed by the Cleveland Browns.

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However, on his newest team, Pryor will be playing a different position: Wide receiver. Although the transition will certainly be hard at first, Pryor has all of the talent necessary to become the next Kordell Stewart.

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Stewart, nicknamed “Slash,” played quarterback, as well as wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers during his NFL career.

While “Slash” was a tremendous talent, you could make a serious case that Pryor is a better athlete than the former Steeler.

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I would go as far as saying when he was a quarterback, Pryor was the unquestioned best athlete at the position, with names like Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III as close seconds.

Let’s be honest here and say that Pryor was never going to be a great NFL quarterback. He possessed great athletic ability, but lacked the throwing mechanics.

The 6’4″ quarterback boasts sub-4.4 speed, so the guy obviously has wheels. Because of that, speed shouldn’t be an issue in Pryor’s transition. Size shouldn’t be either, as Pryor’s height makes him the second-tallest wide receiver on the Browns, only shorter than Rodney Smith.

His speed isn’t just track speed either, as he’s displayed his game speed before, most notably when he burned the Steelers for a 93-yard run in 2013.

“The player who once refused to switch to wide receiver because of his desire to make it as a quarterback has embraced the change and won’t let anyone outwork him.”

So the physical attributes and the athleticism are there, but those aren’t the only things that go into making a good NFL receiver. There are plenty of players who have fallen into obscurity, despite being tall, fast and athletic.

When I made the prediction last year that Pryor would move to wide receiver, I understood it was unlikely, mostly because of all of the nuances that come with learning a new position.

Making a transition to another position isn’t easy, but the good news is that Pryor seems to be embracing the change.

Anyone who follows Pryor on social media has seen the work he’s been putting in, as well as the company he’s surrounding himself with.

Pryor has been honing his craft at the Randy Moss Academy, and he’s getting assistance from Mike Evans, Josh Gordon and Randy Moss. Getting tutelage from an up-and-coming star, an established superstar (when focused) and one of the league’s — in my mind, he’s the best deep threat ever — best receivers isn’t exactly a bad place to start.

While perusing Pryor’s Instagram account, you can see videos of him working on his route running and cuts. It’s obviously one thing to look smooth during practice, but Pryor looks quick getting in-and-out of his cuts, and he has fluid hip movement.

His hands are also impressive, as he has showcased a myriad of one-handed catches. While nothing like what we’ve seen from Brent Grimes or Odell Beckham Jr., Pryor is definitely showing he has the ability to catch passes.

Pryor has also been working with Cleveland’s newest — on the long list of Browns QBs — quarterback Josh McCown.

“I just got done throwing the past for the past few days with Josh McCown, and he’s kind of saying ‘hey on this play, we have inside routes and outside we have this route,'” Pryor said on BuckeyeXtra971 to Tim Hall and Beanie Wells. “I was pretty sharp and stuff from just looking at the playbook for the past month. I knew a lot of stuff he was talking about and we were pretty much on the same page and I don’t think there was one ball on the ground after a 100 or something balls.”

Although developing chemistry with a quarterback who plays for the Browns could ultimately lead to nothing (there’s a solid chance McCown doesn’t even enter the season as the starter), there’s no doubt Pryor is benefiting from running routes and catching passes from an NFL quarterback.

The former Buckeye quarterback — who actually caught a touchdown in college — also noted he’s received a lot of praise from his peers.

“I’m hearing it from guys like Randy [Moss] saying ‘the sky’s the limit’ or Josh saying ‘you’ll be good.’ You just have little butterflies and I just can’t wait because they kind of see where I’m at and how good I can be and it’s time to go out there and show the coaches exactly what I showed those guys,” Pryor said.

Pryor also said that Moss helped him in understanding exactly what areas he needed to improve. Getting to pick the brain of a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro isn’t the worst thing in the world.

The player who once refused to switch to wide receiver because of his desire to make it as a quarterback has embraced the change and won’t let anyone outwork him.

Add in the fact that Cleveland’s receiving corps is a less-than-desirable one, and there’s a very, very good chance Pryor makes the final 53-man roster.

Oct 27, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) runs for the 93 yard touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Pryor noted that he’ll likely be more of an ‘outside deal,’ which is something Cleveland lacks. Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe are reliable-ish, but won’t strike fear into opposing defenses. They lack the top-end speed Pryor has.

Using Pryor on the outside — while Andrew Hawkins and Travis Benjamin man the slot — will give the Browns one of the more unique and diverse group of receivers in the league.

What Pryor lacks in experience, he makes up for with typical wide-receiver swagger.

“It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be different but I’m definitely going to use my playmaking ability jump over people, run past people, and I’m looking forward to it … I’m going to make one cut and try to go,” Pryor said.

People are likely going to sleep on Pryor, as they probably should. It’s rare that a player can make a switch this late in a career and find immediate success. Guys like Julian Edelman, Josh Cribbs and Ryan Tannehill have switched positions in college, but making the switch in the pros is completely different.

However, it’s also rare that the player making the switch has both the athletic ability and work ethic of Pryor. I expect Pryor to shine, although ‘shine’ is certainly an ambiguous word, especially for a converted-QB who will not be the starting receiver, barring injuries.

It would also be foolish to ignore the fact that Pryor could potentially fail to make the Browns final 53-man roster. If that’s the case, I think another receiver-needy, tight-on-cash team will take a chance on him, and I think he’ll prove some people wrong.

Expect Pryor to make some plays with his running ability and athleticism while playing the wide receiver position. And if he doesn’t, we can do this all again next year when I post another article about how he’ll be an effective receiver.

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