3:57pm: The Browns have officially announced the Pryor claim, confirming that he’ll compete as a wide receiver in training camp. Defensive back Landon Feichter was waived by the team in a corresponding move.
3:27pm: After being cut last week by the Bengals, Terrelle Pryor was set to become a free agent today, but the former Raider didn’t make it through waivers to reach the open market. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), Pryor will remain in the AFC North, having been claimed off waivers by the Browns.
Pryor, who turned 26 on Saturday, has appeared in 15 games – all with the Raiders – since his NFL career began in 2011, combining for 12 touchdowns (nine passing, three rushing) and 12 interceptions. After he was waived by the Bengals last week, however, Pryor decided to make the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Presumably, the Browns claimed Pryor with an eye on trying him exclusively at wide receiver. While the team doesn’t exactly have a stable quarterback situation, the same can be said of the wide receiver position, where Josh Gordon is set to miss the entire 2015 season due to a suspension.
The Browns added veterans Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline in free agency to go along with rookie fourth-rounder Vince Mayle and incumbents like Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, and Travis Benjamin. There’s no one in that group with Gordon’s upside, but with those six players – plus six more – in the mix heading into training camp, there may not be room on the regular season roster for a project like Pryor. Still, Cleveland will at least get the first look at Pryor as a wideout, as the team attempts to determine whether he might develop into a real contributor.
Pryor’s move from Cincinnati to Cleveland comes shortly after he posted videos of himself participating in the Bengals’ minicamp practice on social media, something the club isn’t happy about, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Pryor has since taken down the videos.