In 2011, the Oakland Raiders and former owner Al Davis decided to select Terrelle Pryor in the third round of the supplemental draft, a special draft held for those players who did not qualify for the regular draft, whether it be due to a late entry or, in the case of Pryor, issues with collegiate eligibility which forced the player to turn pro. At the time of his selection, many thought that Al Davis was attempting to change the offensive strategy of the Raiders by abandoning the traditional pocket quarterback and going with an agile, mobile, scrambling passer.
Three years and much money later, the Raiders have realize the mistake they made and are looking to trade Pryor prior to the April 22 start date of their offseason program.
Raiders hope to trade QB Terrelle Pryor before the start of the offseason program on Monday, per league source.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 16, 2014
This is not the first time the Raiders have put Pryor on the market. The trade-deals started with Pryor back in January after Pryor asked to be traded by the team while the team was together at the Senior Bowl. The move came after Pryor was supplanted from the starting spot by undrafted quarterback Matt McGloin.
While many players ask to be traded due to petty drama with team members or the coaching staff, Pryor’s request was one made of utility. Multiple signs have been plastered in Pryor’s face, shouting at him that he will not be starting or playing for Oakland next year. First, he lost the starting quarterback job. Then, the Raiders traded for two-time Pro Bowl Quarterback Matt Schaub, with Raiders coach Dennis Allen stating, “We brought Matt Schaub in to be our starting quarterback and we feel very confident that he is going to be outstanding for us. He is a two-time Pro Bowl player and when you have the chance to add those kinds of players, that’s what you do.”
And if that wasn’t enough, the Raiders have brought in or watched the pro-days of every top quarterback available in the 2014 NFL Draft, the most notable and wanted being Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel.
Unfortunately, Pryor doesn’t have any true suitors on the market. As former offensive lineman and current Sporting News lead NFL columnist Ross Tucker put it, the best move for Pryor may be a position move rather than a team move.
Still think he'd be an awesome TE. MT: @ProFootballTalk: Raiders hope to trade QB Terrelle Pryor
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) April 16, 2014
When one considers Pryor’s numbers for the 2013-14 season – 3-6 record, 1,798 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 44 out of 45 quarterback rating on the Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement, or DYAR scale – there may be no other option.
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