Terrelle Pryor - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Pryor, RG3, Chiefs, Chargers

November 16th, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With his contract set to expire at season’s end, Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor is amid a breakout year at the right time. He and the Browns have already begun extension talks, but re-signing the former quarterback is going to be costly for the club. The 27-year-old Pryor could be in line for a deal similar to the one the Rams signed wideout Tavon Austin to in August ($10.55MM-plus per year with $28.5MM in guarantees), according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (Twitter link). Despite being on the NFL’s worst team, one that has shuffled through five QBs, Pryor has totaled 51 catches for 627 yards and four touchdowns. Along with Pryor’s solid production, it’ll help his earning power that he’s big (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) and fast (4.4 speed), as Corry notes.

More from Cleveland a pair of other AFC cities:

One of the signal-callers the Browns have used, Robert Griffin III, was cleared for non-contact practice Wednesday, per Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com (via Twitter). Griffin didn’t participate, though, as he hasn’t yet been designated to return. RG3 has been sidelined since suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 1. The Browns put Griffin on injured reserve with the hope that they could take advantage of the new IR rules and bring him back later in the season.
When asked about a possible return to the field this week for linebacker Justin Houston, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “We’re heading in that direction” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The Chiefs activated the pass-rusher extraordinaire from the PUP list last Wednesday, but he sat out their 20-17 win over the Panthers on Sunday. Houston was a full participant in practice Wednesday for the first time this year, though, which bodes well for his return from an ACL injury, notes Adam Teichner of ESPN.com.
The Chargers worked out linebackers Kevin Snyder, Ryan Langford and Reshard Cliett on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Nobody from that group has suited up for a regular-season game in the NFL.
The Chiefs tried out former Cal receiver Kenny Lawler on Tuesday, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Lawler didn’t join the Chiefs, however – he instead re-signed with the Seahawks’ practice squad Wednesday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns Want To Extend Pryor Or Collins Soon

November 7th, 2016 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

This month, the Browns went from having one player who could conceivably earn the franchise tag to having two players who are worth holding on to. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor has been one of the team’s few bright spots in what has been an incredibly trying season. He seemed like a shoo-in for franchise tag consideration until the pre-deadline deal for linebacker Jamie Collins. Now, the Browns are intent on locking up one of the two players before the end of the year so that they can use the franchise tag on the other player, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Cole’s report doesn’t come as a huge surprise. It’s only common sense that the Browns are intent on keeping both players beyond this season and they can only kick the can down the road with one of the two players. In the case of Pryor, the team has already started contract talks with his reps. The Browns have yet to discuss a new deal with Collins, but those discussions should get underway soon.

Pryor, a former quarterback at Ohio State, went from a training camp darling to a legitimate receiving weapon for the Browns this year. The Browns are still in search of their first win of the season, but they may have already found a high-speed playmaker who can provide what Josh Gordon should have brought to the table.

In Collins, the Browns have added one of the league’s very best outside linebackers. There have been rumblings about Collins’ work ethic, but he says that he is ready to bust his behind in Cleveland. He is also open to signing a long-term deal with the Browns, despite their struggles.

Browns, Terrelle Pryor Begin Extension Talks

October 20th, 2016 at 6:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have engaged in initial extension negotiations with wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Pryor is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Pryor, 27, has become an offensive force in his first full season as a wide receiver, posting 33 receptions for 413 yards and three touchdowns. He’s also helped out at quarterback, tossing five passes for 41 yards, and has run the ball as a Wildcat option, putting up 21 yards and a score. And Pryor has expressed a willingness — and more precisely, a wish — to stay in Cleveland for the long-term, as he explained earlier this season.

“I respect him very highly and if Hue Jackson’s here, I’d love to stay here,” Pryor told Cabot in September. “I want to be here if Hue’s going to be here for awhile, because I know this is a building process — and it’s not really. We’re right the there. We’re competing with everybody, we’ve just got to put teams away and I’d like to be where Hue’s at.”

In the midst of a complete personnel overhaul, the Browns have been jettisoning veterans since the club’s new regime took over this spring, and let free agents such as Mitchell Schwartz, Alex Mack, Tashaun Gipson, and Travis Benjamin leave for other teams earlier this year. Whether Pryor is enticing enough to Cleveland’s front office to warrant a new deal is to be determined, but the team has enough money to lure him in. With nearly $50MM available for 2016, and more than $65MM in space free for the 2017 campaign, Cleveland ranks among the league leaders in financial wiggle room.

A restricted free agent, Pryor is currently earning $1.671MM after signing a qualifying offer during the offseason. He’d certainly be in for a raise via an extension, as starting wide receivers pulled in at least $5MM annually on the open market this spring. The Browns would also have the option of assigning Pryor the franchise tag, but that would come at a cost north of $15MM.

AFC Notes: Tannehill, Pryor, Siemian

October 9th, 2016 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from the AFC as we wait for the early slate of Sunday’s games to get underway:

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believes Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is now entering the most important stretch of his career. He’s a fifth-year signal-caller playing under an offensive savant in head coach Adam Gase and facing an unprecedented 44-day homestand that features four eminently winnable games. If he cannot excel over the next month, it is difficult to believe that he will ever excel.
We learned last week that the Patriots tried to trade for Terrelle Pryor prior to the 2015 season, but it does not appear that anyone other than the Browns will get to reap the rewards of Pryor’s success anytime soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Pryor is one of the only players that Cleveland will not consider trading as it continues to build for the future. Pryor is apparently pretty comfortable with the Browns, too, as he recently expressed his desire for a contract extension.
Paxton Lynch may be starting for the Broncos this week, but James Palmer of the NFL Network confirms (via Twitter) what head coach Gary Kubiak has been saying all week: that Trevor Siemian‘s job is secure. Denver’s coaching staff understandably loves Siemian and hopes to have him ready for Thursday night’s tilt with San Diego.
We heard reports earlier today that Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would be playing for his job this afternoon against Pittsburgh and that the team was prepared to hand the starting job to Geno Smith if Fitzpatrick struggles. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, however, head coach Todd Bowles is ignoring the calls for Fitz to be benched, though he realizes that the Harvard product must improve soon. Bowles said, “[Fitzpatrick] can’t put the game on his shoulders and try to be Superman. If it’s not there, it’s not there. Whether we take the sack or we throw it out of bounds or we punt and move on, ball security is what wins in this league. The big difference between last year’s first quarter and this year’s first quarter is that we got a ton of turnovers (in 2015). And this year, we gave up a bunch of turnovers.”

Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In ’15

October 1st, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots attempted to trade for wide receiver Terrelle Pryor last summer, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter links). However, the Browns turned down New England’s offer, and a deal never came to fruition, per Kyed.

Pryor was eventually released by the Browns that fall, and ended up taking a visit the Patriots, but didn’t sign. “I really thought I was going to be a Patriot,” Pryor told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I know Bill Belichick really liked me. I had a great workout for them and everything went really well. I really thought he was going to sign me.”

After re-signing with the Cleveland at tail of end of the 2015 campaign, Pryor has grown into a force through the first three games of this season, acting been a bright spot for the winless Browns. He’s amassed 14 catches for 244 yards while occasionally factoring in as a rusher and passer. The 27-year-old is coming off a career-best showing, one in which he caught eight balls for 144 yards, ran four times for 21 yards and a touchdown, and completed 3-of-5 passes for 35 yards in a 30-24 loss to Miami.

Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi — who also worked for the Browns at one point — discussed the failure of New England to sign Pryor on the Bill Simmons Podcast. “We blew it,” Lombardi said. “The league often gives you a chance to be great and if you don’t talk advantage of it, it’s your own fault and that was one of those times we didn’t take advantage of it in New England, clearly. It was all right there in front of us and we didn’t make the right decision at that point, but that’s life. You move on.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Notes: Gordon, Pryor, Workouts

October 1st, 2016 at 10:29am CST by Ben Levine

Browns head coach Hue Jackson confirmed that the organization has moved on from wideout Josh Gordon. The 25-year-old revealed earlier this week that he’d be putting his career on hold and entering an in-patient rehabilitation facility. It was reported yesterday that the organization was planning on parting ways with the talented receiver.

According to Nate Ulrich of Cleveland.com, Jackson said that he talked to Gordon “several times” about the decision. Otherwise, the coach was more focused on his current, active players.

“I think what we need to do is just close that chapter right now,” Jackson said. “He’s doing what he needs to do, and we need to do what we need to do, which is continue to move forward.

“Obviously, Josh is not here and doing what he thinks he needs to do for his life, which we support 100 percent. And I think after today, today is really the last Josh Gordon comment I want to make about that. I think what’s best for our football team is that we move forward and move on. He’s not going to be with us, and we wish him well. But we’re moving forward. We’re going to move on.”

Let’s check out some notes pertaining to Gordon and the Browns organization…

Receiver Andrew Hawkins had no issues with Gordon’s decision, noting that the player’s well-being is more important than football. “The personal side is more important,” Hawkins told Ulrich. “I love football as much as anybody else and Josh is one of the best talents…But it’s still secondary. Him being a good receiver isn’t going to save his life 20 years from now. Him coming back to help the Cleveland Browns in 2016 isn’t going to help him in 2025 if he’s still dealing with these same issues, so I’m sincere in [saying] what he’s doing is important.”
Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com wonders if NFL teams “understand drug abuse enough to properly assess the risk” of selecting embattled players. The writer focuses on a pair of recent Browns supplemental draft picks: Gordon and Terrelle Pryor. Gordon, a second-round pick in the 2012 supplemental draft, was dismissed from Baylor following failed drug tests. Pryor, a third-round pick in the 2011 supplemental draft, left Ohio State following a memorabilia-selling scandal. Gordon’s future with the franchise appears to be over, while Pryor has been a bright spot for the 0-3 Browns.
Wide receiver Mitch Mathews is worked out for the Browns yesterday, agent Brett Tessler tweets. The BYU product was supposed to work out with Cleveland last week, but the audition had to be rescheduled.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns

September 29th, 2016 at 5:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Browns’ Terrelle Pryor has played under head coach Hue Jackson with three different organizations since beginning his NFL career in 2011, and the wide receiver hopes the two remain together for the foreseeable future.

“I respect him very highly and if Hue Jackson’s here, I’d love to stay here,” Pryor told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com on Thursday. “I want to be here if Hue’s going to be here for awhile, because I know this is a building process — and it’s not really. We’re right the there. We’re competing with everybody, we’ve just got to put teams away and I’d like to be where Hue’s at.”

Jackson holds similar reverence for Pryor, who’s scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end.

“There are a lot of things I know about Terrelle that maybe a lot of people don’t. I’m talking about as far as what he is really capable of doing,” said Jackson. “I would say to all of you that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he is. He’s growing each and every day as a football player, as a person. He’s getting better, and his best football’s still ahead of him by far.”

Pryor also spoke highly of Cleveland, but he isn’t aware of whether his representatives have begun extension talks with the team.

“Cleveland’s awesome. The fans are are awesome,” said the former Ohio State Buckeye. “But right now, I’m here and I’m going to try to get it done.”

Pryor was a quarterback in college, and he began his pro career there after the Raiders chose him in the third round of the 2011 supplemental draft. The Raiders’ coach at the time was Jackson, though Pryor didn’t debut until 2012. By then, Jackson was out of Oakland and serving as an assistant in Cincinnati, where Pryor ended up last year after flaming out as a signal-caller and converting to receiver.

Jackson was instrumental in Pryor’s position switch, notes Cabot, and the move is paying off for the Browns in 2016. Pryor has been a bright spot for the 0-3 club, having amassed 14 catches for 244 yards while occasionally factoring in as a rusher and passer. The 27-year-old is coming off a career-best showing, one in which he caught eight balls for 144 yards, ran four times for 21 yards and a touchdown, and completed 3 of 5 passes for 35 yards in a 30-24 loss to Miami.

As of now, Pryor looked primed to land a significant raise over his current $1.671MM salary, and it stands to reason the Browns could make an added push to retain him in light of fellow wideout Josh Gordon‘s decision to enter rehab Thursday. With the troubled Gordon likely out of the picture in Cleveland for good, the only potential high-end receiver the team has under its control beyond this season is rookie Corey Coleman. The first-round pick fared well over the season’s first two weeks before breaking his hand in practice on Sept. 21.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns’ Terrelle Pryor, Don Jones Sign RFA Tenders

March 17th, 2016 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have confirmed a handful of signings, announcing today in a press release that wide receiver Terrelle Pryor and defensive back Don Jones have inked their restricted free agent tenders to remain with the team. The club also confirmed the previously-reported addition of safety Rahim Moore.

Pryor, a quarterback-turned-wide receiver, appeared in three games with two starts in 2015, notching one reception for 42 yards on eight targets. In total, for his career, he has appeared in 18 career games with 12 starts, though of course the majority of those appearances came at quarterback.

Turning the talented Pryor into a receiver was an experiment conducted by the old Browns regime, but it appears the team’s new decision-makers – and new head coach Hue Jackson – have some interest in continuing down that road as well.

Jones, meanwhile, has jumped from team to team since entering the league in 2013, having spent time with the Dolphins, Patriots, Saints, and Browns. He played exclusively on special teams in nine games with Cleveland last season after joining the club.

Both Pryor and Jones will be in line for non-guaranteed $1.671MM base salaries for the 2016 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Give Qualifying Offer To Terrelle Pryor

March 7th, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

In a pair of announcements, the Browns disclosed that they have tendered four restricted free agents and re-signed three exclusive rights free agents. The Browns extended qualifying offers to wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, defensive back Don Jones, offensive lineman Austin Pasztor, and linebacker Scott Solomon. The Browns also re-signed linebacker Tank Carder, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent. Two Exclusive rights free agents have also been retained in defensive lineman Jamie Meder and running back Raheem Mostert.

Pryor, a quarterback-turned-wide receiver, appeared in three games with two starts in 2015, notching one reception for 42 yards. In total, for his career, he has appeared in 18 career games with 12 starts. Turning the talented Pryor into a receiver was an experiment of the old Browns regime, but it appears that the new front office and new coach Hue Jackson have some interest in continuing down that road as well.

Carder is a staple on on special teams for Cleveland and has registered 34 special-teams tackles to his credit over the course of his career. The linebacker appeared in all 16 games last season and recorded ten special-teams tackles.

Pasztor, came to the Browns off waivers from the Jaguars and appeared in all 16 games last season. Jones, who came to Cleveland via waivers after the Saints left him exposed, appeared in nine games. Solomon’s season was cut short when he was placed on injured reserve (knee) on Oct. 14.

Mostert, a UDFA, bounced around between the Ravens, Dolphins, and Browns in 2015. In total, he appeared in 11 games and logged 19 kickoff returns for 530 yards.

Extra Points: Bucs, Bills, LA, Cowboys, Pryor

December 17th, 2015 at 9:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from around the NFL as Thursday wraps up:

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is enamored with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. “I wouldn’t trade him for another quarterback in the league,” Licht said, per Jeff Darlington of NFL.com. Licht stated he expected more growing pains and perhaps as many as 30 interceptions this year from Winston, but the ex-Florida State star and No. 1 pick in this year’s draft entered Thursday with only 11 in 13 games.
The Bills are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to the long-term status of signal caller Tyrod Taylor, but if they give him a new contract, it could end up being their most important transaction over the next several years, opines Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Taylor, who has been one of the top statistical QBs in the league this year, will be a free agent after next season. If he acquits himself well again in 2016 and the Bills wait until the season’s over try to lock him up, he could either sign a sizable deal elsewhere or stay in Buffalo and take up a large portion of its cap. For his part, Taylor says he isn’t focused on anything other than this season. “I have three important games. I don’t have time to talk about contract situations.”
With as many as two of the Rams, Raiders and Chargers potentially relocating to Los Angeles at season’s end, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined where exactly the teams could call home starting next year. Multiple league sources believe the Chargers are the likeliest of the three teams to end up in LA, per Florio.
Cowboys quarterback Kellen Moore took “a couple” first-team practice reps this week, head coach Jason Garrett said. That’s a sign his first NFL action could be approaching, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. With the Cowboys out of contention and Matt Cassel having performed poorly in place of the injured Tony Romo, giving Moore a shot before the year’s out would seem to make sense. Dallas signed Moore, 26, to its practice squad in November and added him to its active roster earlier this month. The fourth-year man has never taken a regular-season snap since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2012.
Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor, formerly a quarterback, made his regular-season debut at wideout last week and played 16 snaps. Quarterback Johnny Manziel didn’t target Pryor, but that could change this week because Pryor will get more playing time, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.
Veteran safety Brandon Meriweather, whom the Giants cut Wednesday, went through waivers unclaimed and is now a free agent, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).