Where Can the Oakland Raiders Trade Terrelle Pryor?
By Erik Lambert
Dec 15, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) runs the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 56-31. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
It was a rumor not too long ago but now it’s official. The Oakland Raiders want to move Terrelle Pryor. What are some possible landing spots?
Cleveland Browns
Brian Hoyer seems like the penciled in starter for the Cleveland Browns, at least for the moment. Experts fully expect them to add a rookie quarterback early in the draft to compete for the starting job. Hoyer is coming off a torn ACL, and of course rookies are never a guarantee. Ray Farmer may want to hedge his bets by bringing in another body to the competition. Pryor has plenty of promise from a physical standpoint and can do many of the things Robert Griffin III did for offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in Washington.
Dallas Cowboys
It’s never a promising sign when every quarterback on the roster is over the age of 30. That is the reality facing the Dallas Cowboys. Their starter turns 34 and is coming off back surgery while their two backups, Kyle Orton and Brandon Weeden have little long-term potential as starters. The Oakland Raiders should see that adding a 24-year old talent like Pryor helps solve that problem. Add in the fact that Dallas has a wealth of seventh round picks on hand and it seems like a good match.
Arizona Cardinals
Experts fully believe that Bruce Arians is on the lookout for a young quarterback to backup and eventually replace Carson Palmer for the Arizona Cardinals. The draft would seem like the most obvious place for them to look but a quick examination reveals that Terrelle Pryor actually fits with the Arians type of quarterback. He’s big, athletic, shrugs off tacklers and displays a big arm. The key difference of course is the ability as a pocket passer. If Arians believes he can work that out, then Pryor makes a ton of sense for Arizona.
Carolina Panthers
If any offense is going to intrigue Pryor it is the Carolina Panthers. Their Pro Bowl star Cam Newton has almost the exact same body type and skill set in which the read-option has become a staple. Pryor made that offense famous at OhioState and the Oakland Raiders would do smart to recognize that Carolina might need depth at quarterback with Newton undergoing ankle surgery.