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TJnTN;1975821; said:
muffler dragon;1975619; said:Freudian or misspelled?
Posted: Friday August 26, 2011
Ann Killion>INSIDE THE NFL
Terrelle Proy (No. 6) and head coach Hue Jackson discuss strategy during Pryor's first practice.
Eric Risberg/AP
NAPA, Calif. -- Terrelle Pryor was out on the Raiders practice field for the first time on Friday, recognizable by his height but not by his number.
Pryor, who is 6-foot-6, was wearing No. 6. Not the No. 2 jersey he wore at Ohio State.
"Coach won't let me wear No. 2," he told a throng of reporters after practice. "Why? I don't know. You tell me. I'm just going off what coach tells me."
Here's the answer to why coach Hue Jackson has good reason not to let Pryor anywhere near the No. 2 jersey. The last Raider to wear No. 2 was JaMarcus Russell.
And the Raiders don't need any visible markers that put Pryor and their biggest quarterback bust in history in the same category.
Jersey number or not, critics already want to shove Pryor into the basket of questionable Raiders decisions: one more wasted Raiders pick, one more speed demon who can't play in the NFL, one more nutty Al Davis move. Can Pryor even play quarterback? Why did the Raiders waste a third-round pick on him? Is he another Raider bad boy?
So Pryor has a hard enough journey ahead without trotting around in a black No. 2. He arrived in California on Thursday night after a 17-hour trip from the East Coast, delayed frequently because of Hurricane Irene. It was a fitting start to his life as a Raider, because the road ahead may be stormy. It often is in Raiders Nation.
Pryor arrived in time for the Raiders last session at their Napa training camp, which has been a model of calm this season, compared to past years with staff brawls, holdouts and general dysfunction.
"That's the way it should be," Jackson said. "I don't want drama. It's hard to become a good football team when there's a bunch of drama surrounding the team."
Cont...
Terrelle Pryor draws a crowd for 1st practice
Vittorio Tafur, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, August 27, 2011
-- Raiders coach Hue Jackson said after Friday's practice that Terrelle Pryor "looks like a quarterback, feels like a quarterback and sounds like a quarterback."
But is he an NFL quarterback? That answer won't come for a while, but on Friday, Pryor, the team's third-round pick in Monday's supplemental draft, did jump right into his first practice.
Pryor, who signed a four-year deal late Thursday night, was wearing No. 6.
"Coach won't let me wear No. 2," he said. "Why? I don't know."
The answer is the last No. 2, JaMarcus Russell, was arguably the biggest bust in NFL history, and his shadow looms large.
Pryor, the former Ohio State star, was at Jackson's side most of practice, listening to plays and tips and did jump in for 16 snaps (fumbling two). His passing was not very sharp, but what did anyone expect on his first day with no preparation?
"I'm 17, 18 days, practices behind right now," Pryor said. "I'm just playing catch-up right now. I'm starting to get familiar with some of the stuff. Give me a couple of days, and I should be able to fill it in and feel a lot more comfortable."
There were a lot of TV cameras and national media on hand for Pryor's debut, and he drew the biggest crowd of any Raiders player all camp. He was asked about the importance of being low key as a non-starting rookie.
"This right here probably isn't the best thing," Pryor said smiling. "But, just pretty much be quiet, talk when I'm supposed to talk and just learn. "
He's No. 6 now.
"I'm ready to start fresh and learn as much information as possible," Pryor said. "I can just breath now. I'm ready to get going."
Terrelle Pryor to play QB in final preseason game
Posted on: August 28, 2011
Posted by Will Brinson
It feels like we've written about Terrelle Pryor a million times since he decided to bolt Ohio State and head to the NFL. (The actual answer is 62. So there's that.)
Perhaps that's because of his up-and-down status for the NFL's supplemental draft. Or perhaps that's because he's such a talented player who presents tons of upside but remains an enigma, particularly with respect to what position he'll play as a professional.
Whatever, for those that want to see Pryor as a quarterback, you're in luck -- Raiders head coach Hue Jackson told Michelle Tafoya of NBC on Sunday night that Pryor, who didn't play in the third preseason game against New Orleans, will begin his career with Oakland as a quarterback.
"We're gonna start there first and see where we go," Jackson said.
Pryor, who recently signed a four-year deal with Oakland, did some warm-ups under center and was briefly in the silver-and-black uniform and on the sidelines during Sunday's game, but eventually left.
Tafoya also reported that Pryor would be available for the Raiders final preseason game against the Seahawks.
This makes a lot of sense, actually, because you don't see starters get a ton of time during the final exhibition affair, and Pryor will be missing the first five games of the regular season; getting him out there and giving him some run under center won't put anything at risk and it'll at least the Raiders see what Pryor can do in live NFL action.
And since this is the Raiders we're talking about, it wouldn't be shocking to see them give Pryor plenty of run as a quarterback if he looks even remotely competent during the final week of the preseason.