SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks acquired Terrelle Pryor in a trade with the Oakland Raiders Monday.
What is not yet known, however, is if they acquired a quarterback.
That’s the position Pryor played in Oakland, and before that as a standout at Ohio State, but the 6-foot-4, 233-pounder is an exceptional athlete, and could perhaps have a future at another position, such as receiver.
In a press release announcing the trade, which sent Seattle’s seventh-round pick in next month’s draft to Oakland, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said, “Terrelle is an incredibly explosive athlete and we’re excited for him to come in and compete.” What Schneider didn’t say is anything about Pryor being a quarterback or at what position he would compete. Maybe that’s a meaningful omission, maybe it isn’t, but Pryor’s athleticism more than his ability as a quarterback very well could be what made the Seahawks pursue a trade.
The Raiders were expected to release Pryor if they couldn’t trade him, and considering Seattle traded the 32nd pick of the seventh-round, which is the last tradeable pick in the draft — compensatory picks can’t be traded — there clearly wasn’t much of a market for Pryor.
The Seahawks are obviously set at starting quarterback with Russell Wilson. And with Tarvaris Jackson, a veteran with significant experience in Seattle’s offense, signing a one-year deal that reportedly is fully guaranteed, Pryor would have his work cut out winning the backup job.
That being said, the fact that Wilson is Seattle’s starting quarterback serves as a good reminder that the Seahawks won’t let contract status stand in the way of competition at any position.
Pryor is set to make $705,000 in base salary in 2014, the final year of his rookie contract, but that is non-guaranteed money. A third-round pick in the 2011 supplemental draft, Pryor appeared in 11 games last season, completing 156-of-272 attempts for 1,798 yards, seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Just as telling as his modest passing stats, however, might be Pryor’s 576 rushing yards and 6.9 per-carry average, which include a 93-yard touchdown that was the longest rush in Raiders history.
Carroll and Schneider love athletes with rare ability and unique attributes, something Pryor definitely possesses even if he has yet to establish himself as a quarterback.
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