NFL Supplemental Draft: Why the Cincinnati Bengals Should Avoid Terrelle Pryor

With the supplemental draft set to take place on Monday, the hot topic of the weekend is Terrelle Pryor. With so talent thin on the ground this year, one has to think the Pryor is garnering much more attention and hype than he deserves.

The disgraced former Ohio State Buckeyes star has an undoubtedly stellar on-field career record of 31-4 as a starter, with Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl MVP accolades to his name, but his college career has been overshadowed by a scandal that engulfed Ohio State, and is unsurprisingly spreading like a plague through the college game.

Despite a solid record with the Buckeyes, Pryor is still considered an incredibly raw prospect. NFL.com's resident draft guru Mike Mayock has given an analysis of Pryors abilities and projected round that echos this sentiment,

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"I set the over-under line at the fourth round. Can somebody take him in the third round? Absolutely." 

The value for [Pryor] as a rookie is in packages. In other words, I think the New York Jets are the best wildcat team in the NFL. Why? Because Brad Smith can throw the football just well enough to keep you honest...He can be a package quarterback Year 1 while you develop his skill set. Is he raw? Absolutely. Does he have a lot to work on? Yes, he does. And that doesn't even get into all the intangibles off the field."

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So where does Pryor fit in with a Bengals roster in the midst of training up a rookie quarterback and with a solid veteran backup in place? 

Sense would say he doesn't. However, with the appearance of Jim Tressel at Bengals camp in Georgetown, Ky. on Thursday, coupled with the knowledge that Pryor has been training with former Bengals quarterback and quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson, many believe (as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter) that the Bengals will at the very least do their due diligence on looking into Pryor.

It's a real head-scratcher. Part of me questions whether perceived Bengals interest in Pryor goes beyond Mike Brown, who is well-known to love quarterbacks and Ohio State, making Pryor a nice two-for-one in his mindset, though we can't do more than speculate on this.

So why would Pryor be bad for the Bengals? 

Well, with Andy Dalton off to a rough start and each day being crucial to his development as the teams quarterback, and leader, the acquisition of Pryor might just hamper his development, confidence and psyche. It would certainly show a lack of faith in Dalton, on the part of Lewis and Co., and to do something of that nature this early in the day, can only be counter-productive to the team.

Of course, his ability might not even match up to Dalton's, but the drama and media attention that his signing would draw, would be a step backwards for a franchise that has taken measures to rid itself of high-maintenance, high-profile stars.

While some might suggest that Pryor could be useful in packages, this is something that the Bengals should not even consider at this moment in time. The Bengals offense is in a period of such monumental transition, that has already proved a slow process in Detroit, and to add in more complex packages to a system that players are yet to accustom to, would be a nightmare.

There is also the suggestion of Pryor playing wide receiver, but with a roster stocked with the likes of Green, Simpson, Shipley and Caldwell, the need to take on what will be a project-receiver is non-existent.

Something else that is particularly troubling is the attitude of Pryor. I have to draw particular attention to his agent Drew Rosenhaus' comments pre-supplemental draft here,

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"For anybody who questions where he's going to be drafted, I expect him to be a first-round pick in the supplemental draft. This league needs quarterbacks. Are you kidding me? Middle round for this guy? 

You talk about Cam Newton being the first pick of the draft and he deserves it? Let me tell you what, I'll make all the comparisons all day long: [Pryor] is 31-4 at Ohio State. He has 8,000 total yards in three years. He holds 59 touchdowns -- a record at Ohio State. This is Big 10 football that he has dominated. 

He is going to be a great NFL quarterback."

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What worries me about it, is that Rosenhaus, who manages some of the biggest names in the game, is likely filling Pryor with these same thoughts that he is sharing with the media, and it could lead to a sense of entitlement in Pryor, and a belief that he is as talented as Rosenhaus gushes.

This is not something you want in a rookie, and despite Rosenhaus' comparisons to the Auburn QB, Pryor is doing little to endear himself to the public and inspire confidence, the way that Cam Newton did.

These are just some initial thoughts, having not seen Pryor in game action since January, and having only seen him throw the football to Chad Ochocinco on YouTube, there is very little to go on regarding how Pryor has trained this offseason.

Lastly, I have to admit that I do like what Pryor can bring to the table long-term. I buy into the idea that he is a rough diamond that, with right coaching and attitude can be a success whether at quarterback or in some other facet.

He has freakish size and good arm strength, and possesses athleticism in bucket loads. Yet despite the possible upsides, I don't see him fulfilling his potential in Cincinnati, at least not right now. There are far too many issues surrounding him as a player and as a person. While there may be a team out there that can handle this situation and the baggage it carries, it's not the Cincinnati Bengals.  

Am I alone in this thinking?

Follow @mattkgray.