Terrelle Pryor: 5 Teams That Could Take a Gamble on the Former Buckeye

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No prospect in NFL history may have a more inconsistently projected stock than former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.  His agent Drew Rosunhaus insists that he’s a first-round pick while his critics believe he doesn’t even deserve to be drafted. 

If the NFL holds a supplemental draft this offseason, Pryor will get drafted.  No one knows at the moment when he’ll get selected, but where is a different story. 

Here are five teams that make perfect sense to take a gamble on the young quarterback.  Which team will be paying for Pryor’s latest ride?

5. Seattle Seahawks

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Terrelle Pryor may not fit the style of quarterback Pete Carroll usually starts under center, but at least he’s familiar with paying players.  Jokes aside, the Seahawks need a quarterback badly.

Even if they just made the playoffs, they’re an up and coming team and not ready to contend right away.  Matt Hasselbeck is a free agent and 35 years old.  Re-signing him only delays the inevitable of Seattle needing to find a future franchise passer.

Charlie Whitehurst isn’t that guy, but Terrelle Pryor could be.  Pryor almost went and played football for the Oregon Ducks so he’ll have no problem with the northwest.

The Seahawks look like they’ve committed to running the football next season as they upgraded their offensive line though the draft selecting tackle James Carpenter in round one and guard John Moffitt in Round 2. 

Pryor’s running ability would demand attention from an opposing defense's front seven opening up running lanes for Marshawn Lynch, not that he needs any.

4. Miami Dolphins

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There isn’t anyone in free agency that would be a major improvement over Chad Henne.  Terrelle Pryor wouldn’t be able to steal the starting job either, but he could definitely find time in the Dolphins’ Wildcat packages. 

With their primary Wildcat back Ronnie Brown headed for free agency, they could replace him with Pryor who’s faster and has a better arm.

According to Cleveland.com, Pryor has the support of Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder.  Now, that support could be because the Dolphins need a passer, because Crowder admitted to selling merchandise in college too or both.

Tony Sparano needs to win now or he’ll be gone in 2012.  With no other options, he may see Pryor as an offensive weapon that could put the Dolphins over the top with his freakish athletic ability.

3. Buffalo Bills

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The Buffalo Bills passed on Blaine Gabbert in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft so they still need a franchise quarterback.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is a good enough starter to win a few games, but he’ll never lead a team to a Super Bowl.  The Bills need to find a future starter to develop behind Fitzpatrick.

Chan Gailey prefers athletic passers and there isn’t a quarterback out there with a greater combination of size and speed than Terrelle Pryor.  To start at quarterback in Buffalo, you need to know how to play football in atrocious weather. 

Growing up in western Pennsylvania, playing college ball in Ohio, Pryor knows how to play in the cold; not Buffalo cold, but it’s closer than if he played in Florida.

Imagine Pryor and C.J. Spiller in the same backfield; talk about explosive.

2. Oakland Raiders

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Terrelle Pryor is the type of prospect Al Davis would imagine in a dream: 6’6”, 233 pounds, can run a sub 4.4 40-yard dash, has vertical of nearly 40 inches and can bench well over 300 pounds.  Throw in all the controversy from his scandal and he has “Oakland Raider” written all over him.

Jason Campbell hasn’t exactly locked up the starting quarterback job after a mediocre season.  The Raiders could use a young passer to groom to eventually replace Campbell.  It would be fitting to add Pryor to the same offense as Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy.

After losing their best player in Nnamdi Asomugha to free agency, the team could use a morale boost.  Adding Terrelle “What Ceiling” Pryor would hype up the speed-loving squad to build off of their major improvement last season.

1. Washington Redskins

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Daniel Synder loves big names.  The Redskins won’t find a much bigger name this offseason than Terrelle Pryor.

After ruining the team’s relationship with Donovan McNabb, Washington has no starting quarterback. Pryor couldn’t start right away on the vast majority of NFL teams, but beating out Rex Grossman isn’t exactly the most challenging competition Pryor could face for a starting job.  Mike Shanahan loves scrambling quarterbacks and Pryor fits the bill. 

The Redskins just selected three wide receivers in Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul and Aldrick Robinson so adding a young passer to develop chemistry with the trio right away would be huge.

Washington’s offense is a mess right now, but Shanahan is an offensive-genius and will turn the ship around, but in order to turn the ship around, he needs a quarterback first.  No matter how poor analysts say Pryor’s accuracy and ability to make reads are, he started in a pro offense for three years at Ohio State and in that area, he’s already well ahead of Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert.

 

David Daniels is a NFL Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow  him on Twitter.