Oakland Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor Is a Costly Project

When the Oakland Raiders acquired quarterback Terrelle Pryor with the third-round pick in the supplemental draft, they did so at considerable cost.

The Raiders used their 2012 third-round draft pick on the quarterback, and are without second- and fourth-round picks next year as well, losing the second-rounder in trade to the New England Patriots during the 2011 draft, and the fourth when they acquired quarterback Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins.

Considering the Raiders' situation in the 2012 draft, it seems to be expensive for the team to pick up a raw talent such as Pryor, considering that he is not available to the team for the first five games of the regular season, and would not likely be ready to play even if he was not.

Developing a quarterback takes time, especially a rookie quarterback who did not participate in the entirety of this year's training camp; add in that five-game suspension, and it's clear that Pryor is about a longer-term plan for the Raiders.

Certainly, the Raiders made a strong statement yesterday about Pryor by drafting him with such a high pick, and one can only assume this means the Raiders intend to develop him to be their eventual starter.

Oakland's quarterback position has been a musical chairs affair in recent seasons, and to have stability at that most important role should serve as a measure of improvement for the struggling squad. But it is as yet unknown how Pryor will perform and whether he will be a noticeable improvement for the team.

However, the Raiders are a team with many holes to fill beyond a project quarterback destined for extensive development, and conventional wisdom holds that these holes are often best filled with draft picks.

Rather, it appears that the Raiders are willing to make the gamble that, once the 2011 season ends, they will be a more complete team, one that does not require the three draft picks they lost to trades and to Pryor.

That is quite a risk to take. Of course, the Raiders have been known to make puzzling personnel decisions, considering their eccentric owner, Al Davis, and his propensity for going against common NFL wisdom, and the Pryor acquisition certainly fits that mold.

Perhaps while many of us laugh now, it will be Davis' Raiders who get the last laugh. But, it won't get them draft picks.