Terrelle Pryor: Why Former Buckeye Is Better off in UFL over NFL for Now

Yesterday news broke that the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League were negotiating for the rights of Terrelle Pryor.

Earlier today Pryor turned them down. After all, what soon to be 22-year-old wants to go play football in Canada? Pryor has always viewed himself as a big-time star. He was the man at his high school in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, and as we all know, he was the man at Ohio State.

Pryor's lawyer, Larry James, said Thursday that his client wasn't attracted to the offer from the Roughriders. Per ESPN:

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They sent the package last night, I forwarded it to Terrelle and Terrelle said that he wasn't interested today.

He did not go into discussion. He just said he's not interested in the Canadian Football League. Obviously the offer was not sufficient to whet his taste buds. 

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It makes sense because Pryor most likely believes he is bigger and better than the CFL, but he will soon find out he probably should have thought a little longer about that offer.

James said Pryor is focused on the chance to be selected in the supplemental draft. Clearly Pryor wants to play for the NFL. It's a kid's dream to play sports at the professional level, and Pryor is very close to achieving something he has long desired.

However, the NFL may not be the right place for Pryor right now. The quarterback quit the Ohio State Buckeyes because he believed it was in the best interest of his teammates. He was at the center of the Ohio State scandal, but he opted to run away from it all and forgo his senior season.

At the moment, there is no supplemental draft. Sources have told ESPN's Adam Schefter and John Clayton, "If there are players that apply and are deemed eligible, there will be a supplemental draft."

You can't blame Pryor for wanting to try his hand at the NFL rather than jump right into the CFL. However, he needs to think about his other options before becoming a third-string NFL quarterback, or worse, if a team drafts him and doesn't plan to use him as a quarterback.

I believe it would be in the best interest for Pryor to join the United Football League. Pryor is so used to being a star that I highly doubt he would handle it well if drafted to be nothing more than a benchwarmer in the NFL.

Pryor needs a ton of work if he expects to make it as a starting quarterback in the NFL. He has the size, speed and athleticism to excel at the next level, but his decision-making and accuracy need help—not to mention all the character issues that concern the league.

He plans to hire a quarterback coach or trainer to help him prepare, but the NFL would still wonder about his personality.

NFL prospects go through vigorous interviews with scouts, owners, general managers and coaches before entering the league. They would pick Pryor apart, and they may not like what they find.

The UFL recently held open tryouts, but I know for a fact this league would jump at the chance to welcome Pryor. A player of his status and notoriety would bring a lot of attention to the newly formed football league.

The UFL only has five teams, and they play on a 10-week schedule. Pryor would get the chance to work with some big names if he joined the UFL. Former NFL coaches Marty Schottenheimer, Dennis Green, Jim Fassel and Jerry Glanville are all part of the UFL. Just because it's not as popular as the NFL doesn't mean Pryor wouldn't learn to play the quarterback position better.

A UFL source told Schefter that there is a "decent shot" Pryor could play in the UFL. League commissioner Michael Huyghue told reporters that there is a place for Pryor in the UFL.

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We would just place him in the best situation, Huyghue told the [Las Vegas Review Journal]. For us, Terrelle Pryor can be a great opportunity. There's the question that, at 6 feet 6, is he a quarterback? Is he a wide receiver? He can get a chance in our league to see where his future is. Plus, we have coaches in this league who know how to develop quarterbacks.

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In the end I think a team may take a chance on him if there happens to be a supplemental draft. However, Pryor would be a much better fit in the UFL at the moment.

He is actually wanted by the UFL because they know they can market the league around him. Pryor would join a team and instantly be a star, which is something we all know he loves. He will have a chance to actually play instead of ride the bench.

There's no denying that Pryor is a very talented athlete. His game doesn't translate all that well to the NFL, but with time there is potential. I don't think he is the type of person to want to sit back and wait. If he joins the UFL, then he has the opportunity to play right away and be a star.

If he did sign with the UFL, he would have to wait a full season before opting to leave for the NFL. Pryor can keep playing if he goes to the UFL, and it would give NFL scouts another chance to see him compete.

Can he live with not being in the spotlight? Because that's where his life is headed if he tries his hand at the NFL.