Mike Pettine: Terrelle Pryor ‘not guaranteed a spot’ on Browns final roster

Cleveland Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor still has work to do in order to secure his spot on the team’s final roster, head coach Mike Pettine said on Saturday.

Speaking with media, Pettine “stressed that Pryor must still earn his way onto the 53,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer, while saying the converted quarterback did show some good things in his first week of training camp practice. Pettine also said Pryor is “not guaranteed a spot” and that the team “still needs to see what he can do.”

It hasn’t helped his cause that Pryor has been hampered by a hamstring injury. He missed the Browns first preseason game on Thursday with the injury, which isn’t considered to be major, and was back at practice on Saturday looking sharp.

If he does come back healthy and can stay on the field—both at practice and for the preseason games—then it stands to reason Pryor would have a good chance to make Cleveland’s final roster to open the season.

The Browns aren’t exactly featuring a team of world-beaters at the receiver position these days. Dwayne Bowe’s best years are behind him, and he is now more of a possession receiver than anything—a la Michael Crabtree. Brian Hartline and and Andrew Hawkins are both nice players, but neither would be considered any better than a third or second option on most teams.

Cleveland lacks a big-play receiver who can stretch the field vertically and force teams to cover the entire back end. Given Pryor’s athleticism, speed and size, he could develop into this missing piece for the Browns, but only if he can actually stay on the field.