Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Thursday after seemingly making the 53-man roster. Pryor converted to receiver from quarterback this offseason and looked to be well on track to stick with the team during the early parts of training camp.
Terrelle Pryor released by Browns, vows ‘this will be a mistake’
After trying to transition from quarterback to wide receiver and seemingly making the 53-man roster, Terrelle Pryor was sent to waivers by the Browns.
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Pryor confirmed he had been waived, telling Cleveland.com, “This will be a mistake by them.“ He was reportedly released to make room for former Seattle Seahawks running back Robert Turbin.
He struck a different tone on Twitter, where he wished the Browns luck in their season opener against the Jets:
Had great time at Cleveland. Happy to get opportunity at Cleveland and good luck this weekend vs jets !
— Terrelle Pryor (@TerrellePryor) September 10, 2015 The 26-year-old Pryor injured his hamstring in the first week of August and was held out of the first three preseason games, but was able to play in the preseason finale last Thursday night. Pryor didn’t see any passes thrown his way but took a shotgun snap at quarterback. He finished the game with two rushes for 9 yards.
Pryor had received a ton of praise from coaches and teammates for his work ethic and incredible athletic talent this summer. He flashed potential as a receiver during his limited practice time. Cornerback Joe Haden even compared him to Calvin Johnson. Coach Mike Pettine was among those impressed with Pryor’s raw skills and upside, noting that “he doesn’t look out of place.“
It’s surprising that Pryor didn’t make the Browns for multiple reasons. The Browns don’t have many playmakers at the wide receiver position, much less depth. Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline are fine possession receivers, but lack the explosiveness and speed to be true vertical threats in the passing game.
Pryor was selected as a quarterback out of the 2011 Supplemental Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He was unable to stay in one place long, however. In 10 starts with Oakland, he completed just 56 percent of his passes with a 69.3 passer rating. Oakland then traded Pryor to the Seattle Seahawks following the 2013 season and he has yet to make an active roster since despite stops in Seattle, Kansas City and Cincinnati.
Pryor decided this summer to make the transition to wide receiver with the hope of reviving his NFL career. The Browns picked him up off waivers in June.
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