When Terrelle Pryor was drafted by the Raiders in the 2011 supplemental draft, there was no question that the Raiders envisioned Pryor as a quarterback when they invested the third round pick. However, anyone who has been following the Raiders recently knows that there is an entirely new regime in Oakland, and it has no problem going against the game plan that was developed by former Raider czar, the late Al Davis.
The Raiders new general manager, Reggie McKenzie, has already cut two Al Davis favorites in Stanford Routt and Kamerion Wimbley, and did so just one year after Mr. Davis had given each of them long term contract extensions. It is no secret that many, if not most, commentators around the NFL believe that Pryor is not suited to play quarterback in the NFL and would be a better fit at either wide receiver or tight end. Therefore, it would be reasonable to ask whether or not McKenzie envisions Pryor's career in the same way that Mr. Davis had. Unless of course, your name is Terrelle Pryor, in that case, there is no question that the Raiders plan to continue using him at the quarterback position.
When asked over the weekend to address rumors that the Raiders had, or were planning to ask him to switch positions, Pryor told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he had not heard the rumors and that in his mind, there was no question about what position he would be playing for the Raiders.
Most Raiders fans will likely have mixed feelings about this interview. Pryor says a lot of the right things. He discusses how hard he is working and will continue to work towards becoming an NFL quarterback and about how he has been working with fellow Raiders Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford and Taiwan Jones during the off season. Those are all great things to hear. Especially considering the last quarterback the Raiders drafted was notorious for not putting in hard work. However, on the flip side of things, his insistance on playing quarterback for the Raiders can be somewhat disconcerting for many in the Nation.
Recently, a source close to SBNation Bay Area spoke with a recent former Raider about Pryor's potential as an NFL quarterback and the review was not very inspiring. Basically, the player, who was a key member of the Raiders offense, noted that Pryor was a hard worker with tons of athletic ability, but that he would never be an NFL quarterback.
If this is true, it begs the question, will Pryor be willing to make a position switch when the time comes. Based on this interview, it does not appear as though Pryor is open to the idea. As a fan, everyone wants their players to be willing to do what is best for the team. However, in this instance, it appears as though Pryor is not willing to make a move that would be the best move for his career, let alone for the Raiders.
As time goes by, it will be interesting to see how this story progresses. While I may not be able to predict what position Pryor will be playing for the remainder of his NFL career, I am more than willing to put money on the fact that this is not the last news piece or discussion on the topic of Pryor switching positions in the NFL.