Terrelle Pryor - Pro Football Rumors

NFC West Links: Smith, Rams, Cardinals

August 30th, 2014 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

We learned yesterday that 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith will be suspended for the first nine games of the 2014 season for violating the league’s policies for substances of abuse and personal conduct.

Today, a statement was released on behalf of the former Pro Bowler (via the NFL Network’s Albert Breer):

“I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the entire 49ers organization and 49ers fans for not being able to contribute on the field for the next several weeks. Over the last year, I have learned a lot and I’m working hard to grow from my experiences. I want to thank my family and friends, my teammates, my union and the 49ers for supporting me during this process. I will be at work daily to participate in all permitted work activities, and to support my teammates, just as they have supported me.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC West…

The Rams will “take a look” at free agent quarterback Terrelle Pryor, tweets ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Pryor was released by the Seahawks earlier today.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher indicated that there might not be a spot on the practice squad for recently released rookie Michael Sam. “The practice squad is heavily dependent on what you do in other positions…We may have to go heavy in the other positions,” Fisher said (via Wagoner’s Twitter).
The Cardinals currently have six wide receivers on their roster, but Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com warns that players like Walt Powell could easily be moved to the practice squad.

Seahawks Release Terrelle Pryor

August 29th, 2014 at 8:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have released quarterback Terrelle Pryor, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Technically, Pryor will be waived, as he has accrued less than four NFL seasons. Seattle acquired Pryor from the Raiders earlier this offseason, but the 25-year-old ended up lasting just over four months on the Seahawks’ roster.

Pryor appeared in 11 games in 2013 for the Raiders, starting nine of them, but was underwhelming in those contests. Overall, he completed 156 of 272 pass attempts (57.4%) for 1,798 yards, seven touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He did add some value with his legs, racking up 576 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 93-yard score.

In Seattle, Pryor was expected to act as the third quarterback, or perhaps even challenge backup Tarvaris Jackson for the No. 2 role behind starter Russell Wilson. He struggled during the preseason, however, completing just 54% of his passes to go along with one touchdown and two interceptions. In addition to Wilson and Jackson, the Seahawks still have quarterback B.J. Daniels on the roster, but I’d be surprised if the team kept three QBs.

The Rams could be one team interested in acquiring Pryor, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Following Sam Bradford‘s season-ending ACL injury, St. Louis has little in the way of depth behind new starter Shaun Hill. The Rams could look to either place a claim on Pryor, or hope he passes through waivers and offer him a free agent deal.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Monday Roundup: Finley, Young, Big Ben

July 14th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, who has been medically cleared to play by his own doctor, said he will undergo another series of medical tests on Wednesday and will send the results of those tests to all 32 clubs in an effort to convince them that he is fully healthy, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Finley has stated that he would like to return to the Packers, and that he certainly wants to continue playing rather than collect the $10MM insurance policy he would receive if he retired from the game.

However, he has also demonstrated that he will be patient as he waits for the right deal. The Steelers‘ team neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Maroon, performed Finley’s vertebrae fusion in November and declared him fit to play a few months later. Pittsburgh subsequently made several contract offers, according to Finley, but none of those offers were financially appealing enough for him. Pelissero believes that Finley ultimately will re-sign with Green Bay (Twitter link).

Now for some links from around the league to wind up this Monday evening:

In an increasingly sad and troubling narrative, former Lions receiver Titus Young was arrested in Los Angeles on July 9 for battery with serious bodily injury–a felony–and associated charges, writes David Leon Moore of The Detroit Free Press. The arrest took place one day before Young was to appear for a pre-trial conference in Newport Beach, California, where he faces 11 charges, four of which are felonies.
Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News writes that, on the heels of his strong finish to the 2013 campaign, Cowboys linebacker Kyle Wilber should find himself in a starting role and could be on the verge of a breakout season.
In a video clip, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looks at a few under-the-radar players on the Cowboys roster to keep an eye on, including undrafted finds Ben Malena and L’Damian Washington.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes that the Seahawks‘ backup quarterback competition is wide open, and Terrelle Pryor and Tarvaris Jackson will each get an extended opportunity to prove themselves in the preseason. However, both players could end up making the club, as Seattle carried three quarterbacks on its roster for a few weeks last season.
Time is running out for the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to reach an agreement on a contract extension, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Roethlisberger has two years left on his current deal, but Florio believes he is underpaid by current standards. However, no progress has been reported on a possible extension–though that does not mean that progress has not been made–and the Steelers do not negotiate new contracts once the regular season begins.
Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has limited leverage in trying to force a trade, as Adam Schefter, Louis Riddick, and Mark Brunell of ESPN explain (video link).
Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Scherff, a 280-pound quarterback in high school, has blossomed into a strong 6’4″, 320-pound force with Ndamukong Suh-type strength.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC West Links: 49ers, Mayowa, Pryor, Cards

June 20th, 2014 at 10:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

During this slow time between OTAs and training camp in the NFL, one topic that stays in the public mind is the talk of contract extensions. Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com takes a look at a few players who are up for extensions and discusses who actually deserves the raise. Among his favorite NFC West players who have earned big money are the 49ers‘ Alex Boone and the Cardinals‘ Patrick Peterson. Although Vernon Davis and Seahawks‘ running back Marshawn Lynch are threatening holdouts, they are less serious candidates in McManaman’s opinion.

Here are some other stories from around the NFC West:

The 49ers have upgraded their receiving corps and now the onus is on Colin Kaepernick to succeed, writes Mark Purdy of the Mercury News.
The 49ers have a number of storylines to watch for as they prepare for training camp, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Barrows discusses the holdout, new faces, and position battles among other things in his round up.
Seahawks‘ pass rusher Benson Mayowa is ready to contribute to the team’s vaunted defense, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Benson added 15-20 pounds of bulk to his frame, and could be in contention for the famous LEO spot in the defensive scheme, behind projected starter Cliff Avril.
Terrelle Pryor is working hard and diligently to win the Seahawks‘ backup quarterback job behind Russell Wilson, writes Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times. Pryor did rule out a position change. “I don’t know how to catch. I don’t know how to run the ball as a running back,” said Pryor. “I’ve been a quarterback my whole life.”
The Cardinals are still looking for a starting right tackle, and former Ole Miss teammates Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell are competing for the job, writes Justin Janssen of ArizonaSports.com. General manager Steve Keim has been impressed with the competition, particularly Massie. “Both those guys have been battling hard,” said Keim. “Bobby actually showed some real strides as we got to the middle of OTAs and our final minicamp. He did a nice job. He’s got all the physical tools.”
While the Cardinals are excited about their rookie class, Keim has tried to temper expectations, writes Janssen. “When you sit in my chair, you have to temper your enthusiasm a bit and wait until the pads come on,” said Keim. “Because we all know that a lot of guys can look great running around in shorts and helmets, but when the lights come on and the big boy pads come on, things can quickly change.” That being said, he had some great things to say about Deone Bucannon, Troy Niklas, and John Brown.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Pompei’s Latest: Rice, Pryor, Hyde, Draft

April 25th, 2014 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

In today’s column, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes that executives see this year’s draft as rich in offensive talent and lacking in defenders. “It’s surprising how heavy it is on the one side of the ball,” one NFC General Manager said. That GM estimated that of the 120 or so players on his board, 65% are offensive players. The draft has plenty of talented wide receivers and offensive linemen and solid depth at quarterback, but running back stands out as the one underrepresented offensive position at the top of draft boards. More from Pompei..

Sidney Rice took less money on a one-year deal from the Seahawks (a one-year, $1.4MM deal) than he could have had with the Jets in part, because he thinks he might be able to make more money in 2015 if he spends this season in Seattle. The 27-year-old is looking at next offseason since it could be his last chance to cash in big. People who know the wide receiver say he has been working his tail off in order to come back from a torn ACL healthy and stronger than ever and maximize his value next year.
One of the reasons Terrelle Pryor is in Seattle is that the timing of his availability was ideal for the Seahawks. The Seahawks, 32nd in claiming order, knew they would not have had a chance at acquiring him through waivers. They also knew they could not get a similar athlete with a seventh-round pick, which was the trade compensation they gave the Raiders. Pete Carroll & Co. are hoping that Russell Wilson will rub off on his new understudy.
Insiders are predicting a flurry of trade activity toward the bottom of the first round of the draft as teams jockey for position to try to get a falling quarterback, or the rising quarterback of their choice. The thinking is, the teams at the top of the draft that ignore their QB need will be looking to jump back in at the top of the second round.
Another potential trade target at the bottom of the first round is Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde, as some teams see him as clearly the best prospect at the position. One team picking late in the round already has received two phone calls feeling them out for interest in a potential deal.

NFC West Links: Rams, Aldon Smith, Pryor

April 23rd, 2014 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Having already rounded up several items out of the NFC North and NFC East this afternoon, let’s head west and check in on the latest Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks links….

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com gives his thoughts on the Rams‘ moves in free agency. It was a relatively inactive offseason for St. Louis and it would have been even less active had the Raiders not welched on their deal with offensive lineman Rodger Saffold. Meanwhile, given the Rams’ limited offensive talent, Kenny Britt could prove to be a wise pickup — the troubled wide receiver is due to make just over $500K guaranteed, so the deal won’t hurt the club too badly if he’s a bust. All in all, Fitzgerald gives the Rams a C+ for their pickups in free agency.
In his newest piece for the National Football Post, former agent Joel Corry delves into Aldon Smith’s fifth-year option dilemma for the 49ers. However, as Corry notes, San Francisco’s decision on that 2015 option won’t be the end of the Smith saga.
Terrelle Pryor has the talent to be the Seahawks‘ latest reclamation project, writes Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times. The speedy quarterback can be saved from the NFL scrapheap by coach Pete Carroll, but only if he realizes he needs the Seahawks more than they need him, Brewer opines.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Seahawks Acquire Terrelle Pryor From Raiders

April 21st, 2014 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks and Raiders have reached an agreement on a trade that sends Terrelle Pryor to Seattle, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks will send a seventh-round draft pick to Oakland as part of the deal.

With newly acquired Matt Schaub expected to be the starter in Oakland, Matt McGloin backing him up, and the possibility of the Raiders adding another signal-caller in the draft, there was no room for Pryor, who was expected to be traded or released this week. A pick near the very end of the draft (247th overall) isn’t much compensation for the former Oakland starter, but it’s at least a small asset for the Raiders, and parting with that pick allowed Seattle to avoid fending off other suitors for Pryor in free agency.

One potential suitor for Pryor would have been the Seahawks’ division rivals and the Raiders’ rivals across the bay — according to Florio (via Twitter), the 49ers were also pursuing a trade for the 24-year-old, but lost out to Seattle. Presumably San Francisco wasn’t including a 2014 pick in its offer, given Pryor’s cost.

Pryor appeared in 11 games in 2013 for the Raiders, starting nine of them, but was underwhelming in those contests. Overall, he completed 156 of 272 pass attempts (57.4%) for 1,798 yards, seven touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He did add some value with his legs, racking up 576 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 93-yard score.

The Seahawks re-signed backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson earlier in the offseason, so he’ll likely compete with Pryor for the No. 2 job behind starter Russell Wilson. Jackson may have the upper hand in that competition, considering his 2014 salary of $1.25MM is fully guaranteed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC West Rumors: Pryor, Alex Smith, Visits

April 21st, 2014 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

After initially reporting that the Raiders would cut quarterback Terrelle Pryor today if they couldn’t find a trade partner, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports now says (via Twitter) that resolution will likely come Tuesday for the Raiders and Pryor. With Matt Schaub now in the fold and another QB potentially coming in the draft, Oakland is intent on moving on from the former starter one way or another.

Let’s check in on a few more items from around the AFC West….

Alex Smith‘s agent, Tom Condon, has been engaged in discussions with the Chiefs about a new contract for his client, and Smith is happy to stay out of those negotiations, as Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star details. “My agent handles all of that, and that’s why you hire that guy to take care of that, so you can focus on football,” said Smith, who is entering the final year of his current deal. “It’s really not my place. I have a contract for this year.”
The Broncos are visiting today and tomorrow with Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley, sources tell Mike Klis of the Denver Post. As Klis writes, Mosley is viewed by many experts as the top inside linebacker in this year’s draft class.
The Chargers hosted Stanford defensive end Ben Gardner for a visit today, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Meanwhile, the club also worked out Arkansas fullback Kiero Small, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson adds that Small will move on to visit the Browns tomorrow.

AFC Notes: Pryor, Hill, Bills

April 19th, 2014 at 1:05pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Raiders will cut Terrelle Pryor if they can’t find a trade partner by Monday, reports Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (via Twitter). The news portends an inevitable conclusion to Pryor’s time in Oakland, as the writing has been on the wall since the team traded for Matt Schaub and declared confidence in Matt McGloin as the backup.

Here’s a handful more AFC notes:

The Broncos are nearing decision time on Von Miller, who is eligible for a fifth-year option, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold details the figures, options and factors involved. Even if the team decides against the fifth-year option in the short-term, franchising Miller next year is a realistic possibility assuming he returns healthy from his ACL injury and gets back to his impact form (30 sacks between 2011 and 2012).
In a mailbag, ESPNNewYork.com’s Jane McManus shares her opinion that, in theory, the Jets “have already moved on” from 2012 second-rounder Stephen Hill, who has been a bust through two seasons.
The Bills are set at one safety spot with Aaron Williams, who is locked up until 2018. However, despite an uninspiring trio of competitors for the other starting position (Da’Norris Searcy, Duke Williams and Jonathan Meeks), the team does not seem motivated to pluck one of the top-rated safety prospects, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Rodak speculates the Bills likely won’t address safety in the draft until the middle or late rounds if at all, saying, “They could also wait another year, see what they have in those two second-year players, and re-assess the position after this season.”

Raiders Want To Trade Terrelle Pryor

April 16th, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders hope to trade quarterback Terrelle Pryor before the start of the offseason program on Monday, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Raiders are intent on moving on from him one way or another which leaves the possibility of an outright release on the table.

Pryor, the last player drafted by the late Al Davis, has been on the trading block since the beginning of the calendar year. The Raiders amped up their efforts to move the signal caller in March and it sounds like they’re getting ready for one final push over the next several days. The speedy Pryor played sparingly in his first two years before appearing in 11 games with nine starts in 2013.

While Pryor has shown some serious playmaking ability, it’s unclear if he has the poise or overall makeup to succeed as a full-time option. Pryor saw undrafted Penn State quarterback Matt “Moxie” McGloin steal the No. 1 job last season.