Terrelle Pryor is one of the best natural athletes in the entire NFL. That’s not hyperbole either, as the six foot four quarterback runs a sub 4.4 forty yard dash time, and is a physical specimen. With so much talent and athleticism, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to see Pete Carroll move the 25 year old from under center to out wide.
It’s hard to imagine that Carroll acquired Pryor from the Raiders only to have him sit on the bench behind Russell Wilson. Wilson has yet to miss a start for Seattle since being drafted in 2012, so it’s not as if the Seahawks are in dire need of quarterback depth. Wilson is coming off of a Super Bowl victory and he’s proven why he’s the starting quarterback.
While some have speculated that Pryor’s purpose is to be the primary backup for the Seahawks, I don’t envision the former Ohio State Buckeye to collect dust on the sidelines.
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It’s true that a good backup quarterback is an instrumental part of success in the NFL, but the Seahawks already have Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson, while not overly outstanding, is well liked by the Seahawks locker room and he has shown he can do a sufficient job of running an offense when necessary.
I’m just not entirely convinced the Seahawks would give up anything to acquire a player that they intend to keep third on a depth chart, even if they only gave up a seventh round pick. The Seahawks know how easy it is to find a late round steal, as more than half of their esteemed “Legion of Boom” were drafted in the fifth round or later, as Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor were drafted in the 5th round, and Byron Maxwell was drafted in the 6th.
Numerous scouts and experts have suspected a position change for Pryor, but Pryor shut down those rumors a few months ago. Pryor told the media that he won’t switch positions because of certain imperfections. “I don’t know how to catch. I don’t know how to run the ball as a running back. I’ve been a quarterback my whole life.”
While Pryor’s inability to catch is concerning, it’s not the hardest thing in the world to teach. With Pryor’s athletic ability, he could prove to be a quick learner. Just for the record, when he was with Ohio State, Pryor elevated to haul in a five yard touchdown pass in the Fiesta Bowl.
Pryor made a bevy of plays last year with his feet, including a beautiful 93 yard rush against Pittsburgh. Pryor is such an explosive athlete that it would be an absolute shame to see him spend 2014 with a clipboard in his hand.
If you remember correctly, when Pryor was still at Ohio State his biggest caveats were his throwing mechanics and footwork. Pryor adapted to the NFL, and learned how to improve his game. He must’ve been a decent learner, because Pryor obviously displayed enough of an improvement from his rookie year to 2013 to warrant him being named the starting quarterback, albeit not for an entire season.
Pryor is a team player with a good attitude. He’s displayed that before and I still think he will do whatever a team asks of him. Before he entered the NFL he vocalized his thoughts about his versatility.
“I would like the opportunity to play quarterback,” Pryor told ESPN back in 2011. “But I’ll do anything that a team needs me to do to win.” I honestly think if Pete Carroll truly desires Pryor to play wide receiver, Pryor will oblige and try to help the team succeed. Terrelle Pryor is a better athlete than both Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin, and I believe Pryor could thrive as a wide receiver in Seattle’s system.
Imagining a combination of Percy Harvin and Terrelle Pryor is simply ludicrous.
It’s entirely possible that Pete Carroll is content with having the luxury of three talented quarterbacks on his roster. It’s also possible that Pryor beats out Jackson for the primary backup role. However, I think Pete Carroll is too creative of a coach to not utilize Pryor. With the Seahawks axiomatically thin at wide receiver, moving Pryor’s position would only help the offense.