Terrelle Pryor to Oakland Raiders: Dumbest Decision Al Davis Has Ever Made?

The drama surrounding Terrelle Pryor is finally over and done with, as the former Ohio State quarterback was picked by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the NFL supplemental draft today.

Pryor arrives in Oakland at a time when the franchise has a promising future with young talent on offense and defense.

Last season, the Raiders finished 8-8 and 6-0 in their own division, the rough and tough AFC West. New head coach Hue Jackson is hoping to build upon last season’s success and take the Raiders to the playoffs.

But team owner Al Davis may stand in the way of any progress the team may make this season.

If you recall back in 2007, Davis made former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell the first overall pick in the draft and inked him to a $61 million contract with $32 million guaranteed.

Davis was so enamored with Russell’s arm strength that he thought the 6’6” quarterback could bring the vertical passing game back to Oakland and return the team back to its former glory.

Unfortunately for Davis and the Raiders, that theory never panned out. Russell was a bust, throwing 23 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 65.2. He was released in May of 2010 after arriving at camp at a reported 300 pounds.

Former Auburn Tiger and Washington Redskin Jason Campbell is now the field general for the Raiders, and according to a recent article on ESPN.com, Pryor is not in the plans to play quarterback for the Raiders.

If Davis wants to eventually play Pryor behind center, then I will say that this may be the dumbest decision he has ever made. If the team only wants to work him out at wide receiver, then this move may prove Davis as a shrewd old NFL businessman.

But what scares me, and maybe some Raiders fans, is that Davis is looking for another vertical threat because receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey has yet to work out. Pryor is speedy, running the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds.

Davis is always looking to air the ball out, and coupling Pryor’s speed with Campbell’s arm was probably too enticing for Davis to pass up.

The dumb part of this decision is that drafting Pryor may handcuff any development the Raiders may have this season. Oakland has a great shot of either equaling last season’s win total or maybe one additional game in 2011.

Bringing Pryor into the offensive fold immediately may prove dangerous for Oakland, and here’s why.

Last season, the Raiders' top receiving target was tight end Zach Miller with 685 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Miller is now in Seattle taking passes from Tavaris Jackson.

The second leading receiver on the team was receiver Louis Murphy, with 609 receiving yards and 47 receptions.  

Oakland is in need of help at the receiver position, but hopefully, the team draft chose to go with Pryor as a project and not an immediate answer.

If so, this may very well be the dumbest decision Al Davis has ever made.