Terrelle Pryor to Bengals: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.     

The team announced the news on Sunday, along with several other transactions:

John Minchillo/Associated Press

The Kansas City Chiefs brought Pryor aboard in January but then released him last week because they had too many quarterbacks on their roster. Now, he's trying to find a home in Cincinnati.   

After his tryout with the team, Pryor spoke about his fit with the Bengals and his relationship with offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer:

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(Jackson) is in my corner because he knows me. He drafted me. He wanted me. But at the same time I have to be on the field and show coach Lewis, the boss, that I can run this offense and help him win. I can fit in along with Andy and help Andy along and the other guys who are quarterbacks here. That's the main focus you got to show, prove and go out there and have fun, man.

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The Oakland Raiders selected the former Ohio State star in the third round of the 2011 supplemental draft. He appeared in a combined 14 games in the 2012 and 2013 seasons and threw for nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He added 627 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground and did most of his damage as a playmaker when escaping the pocket.

Oakland then traded him to the Seattle Seahawks, but he was subsequently cut by Seattle at the end of the 2014 preseason.

Despite his designation as Oakland’s top quarterback for some of the 2013 season, Pryor is still best known for his time in Buckeyes scarlet and gray. He was one of the best players in all of college football during his three-year career, and he led Ohio State to Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl wins in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

His elusiveness and power as a runner and ability to hit receivers on deep balls earned him a shot at the NFL level, and that raw athleticism probably helped him land a spot with his new team.

Pryor is still arguably one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL even though he hasn’t played in a regular-season game since the 2013 campaign. Even so, he never inspired much hope as a professional passer, and Marc Sessler of NFL.com painted a grim picture regarding Pryor's future as a potential starting quarterback after the Chiefs released him:

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Pryor is no guarantee to find another job. Completing just 56.3 percent of his throws over 16 appearances in Oakland, the former Ohio State star is a backup project at best. After fizzling out with the Raiders, Seahawks and Chiefs, the shine is off this athletic specimen with questionable arm talent.

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At best, Pryor could probably serve as a read-option-style quarterback who can come in during designed packages—a Wildcat-type player who's a threat to throw, which could be dangerous at the goal line.

He is also an experienced insurance policy in case Andy Dalton suffers an injury under center. Cincinnati has signal-callers Josh Johnson and AJ McCarron as well, so Pryor adds some extra depth.

Although Pryor has always been known as a quarterback throughout his career, his skill set actually fits the wide-receiver position. It remains to be seen if the Bengals will entertain that notion, but Pryor is big enough at 6’4” to serve as a red-zone threat on fade routes and athletic enough to beat defenders in open space.

Regardless of whether Cincinnati uses him as a receiver, Wildcat player or something else, at the very least, he provides important depth at a critical position.

This could be one of Pryor's last chances to secure a role on an NFL squad. After making several stops and never truly latching on, how he fares with the Bengals will go a long way toward determining his NFL future.