Terrelle Pryor, wide receiver, Cleveland Browns
Pryor is one of those rare 27-year-old free agents that seems to be relying as much on upside as he is on production on the open market. Here’s a dude that’s coming off his first full season as a wide receiver in the NFL.
The former Oakland Raiders starting quarterback responded by putting up over 1,000 receiving yards for a horrible Browns team that boasted the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. Not only does that tell us a story of a pass catcher that has proven he can produce, it leads us to believe that Pryor is just scratching the surface.
Most figured Cleveland would do everything possible to retain Pryor. This included suggestions that it would potentially place the franchise tag on him. Once that didn’t happen, questions arose about whether Pryor would return to the Browns. Now, heading into free agency itself, the receiver seems to be questioning whether Cleveland is serious about him over the long term (more on that here).
The writing sure seems to be on the wall here. Despite proving itself to be among the most talent-stricken teams in the NFL, Cleveland might not be willing to match what will be a lofty asking price from Pryor in free agency.
One team that might decide upside is worth $10-plus million annually is Philadelphia. The Eagles have a major need at wide receiver — potentially even looking at bringing in two starter-caliber players at that position.
Jordan Matthews regressed big time in his third season with the team. Meanwhile, former first-round pick Nelson Agholor was so bad that he found himself benched throughout the 2016 campaign. This led to a disastrous effort from the Eagles’ wide receiver group for rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.
Already linked to Pryor, it seems to make too much sense. As mentioned above, the receiver has untapped potential. Add him to the mix with Wentz, and the sky could be the limit here. Flush with just $8.1 million to spend, Philadelphia would have to get creative here.
In no way does that mean the team won’t spend big on a receiver. After all, the Eagles have already been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Alshon Jeffery. If they are forced to go a tad cheaper, Pryor would be a nice alternative.
Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles