The moment news broke that Terrelle Pryor was not going to return to Ohio State, it did not take a genius to figure out that before long, someone would suggest that Pryor was a perfect fit for the Oakland Raiders. Cue Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune.
In Sunday's edition, McDonald suggests that the Raiders should take a shot at the former Ohio State quarterback in the NFL's annual supplemental draft. Not shockingly, McDonald's argument is based primarily on Pryor's athleticism. Raiders owner, Al Davis is notorious for drafting speedsters and athletic phenoms, and because of that, every athletically gifted college football player gets linked to the Oakland Raiders at some point.
The problem is that just because the Raiders like athletically gifted players does not mean that every athletically gifted player would be a good fit for the Oakland Raiders. When taking all relevant factors into consideration, it would be a big mistake for the Raiders to use a supplemental draft pick on Terrelle Pryor.
Project quarterback is the perfect way of describing a guy like Pryor. If not for his superb athletic ability, Pryor would likely not be considered an NFL talent. During his college career, Pryor has shown that he has issues with decision making, accuracy and mechanics, perhaps three of the most important characteristics of a good quarterback.
The Oakland Raiders on the other hand, have shown, especially recently, that they have issues with developing young quarterbacks. The Raiders have tried and failed three times in their attempts to draft the replacement for the most recent great Raider quarterback, Rich Gannon.
The Raiders drafted Marques Tuiasosopo in the second round of the 2001 draft, Andrew Walter in the third round of the 2005 draft, and of course, Big Purp, JaMarcus Russell, first overall in the 2007 draft. Not a single one of these quarterbacks came close to staking their claim as the Raiders quarterback of the future.
In addition to the fact that the Raiders have a less than stellar record in developing quarterbacks, the Raiders have already traded away their second and fourth round picks in the 2012 draft. If the Raiders are seriously interested in getting Pryor, they will be forced to use their first or third round picks.
Without a pick in the second and the fourth rounds, the Raiders' first and third round draft picks have added importance. With the Raiders showing signs of finally having turned things around, one or both of those picks could be the pick to tip the scales. When a team is attempting to turn things around, it does not have the luxury of using key draft picks on players who do not fill key holes on the roster.
While Jason Campbell has not established himself as the answer at quarterback for the Raiders, he is the best option they have had in that position since Rich Gannon retired. Though he has struggled with consistency, Campbell has shown that he has the ability to play in the NFL and is a workable option at the quarterback position and is more than serviceable.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have major and more immediate concerns along their offensive line, at outside linebacker, wide receiver and at every position in their secondary with the exception of Tyvon Branch at strong safety (assuming the Raiders are not able to bring back Nnamdi Asomugha and Michael Huff).
While it is not surprising that Terrelle Pryor has been linked to the Raiders, using a supplemental draft pick on Pryor would be a bad decision for the Oakland Raiders.