Exactly a year ago, the Raiders used a third-round pick on quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
And though he wasn’t fond of some of his preseason work, the former Ohio State star doesn’t lack for confidence.
Pryor said the five-game suspension he served for violations committed in college set back his progress, and he thinks he’s going to be a great quarterback when it’s his turn.
“The suspension really screwed me,” Pryor said, via Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group. “The way I came out of college and my mistakes screwed me. But right now, I’m in a good place because I’m learning from the best and I’m only going to get better, a lot better.
“If I can just keep on figuring out this progression thing and having my internal clock running with my feet, I can be good. I can be great.”
The biggest thing Pryor has done is attach himself to veterans Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, and he’s often on the field after practice working on his craft.
But until he becomes more skilled on the technical aspects of the game, attitude won’t matter.
“It’s a footwork thing and it’s a maturity thing,” quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo said. “He hasn’t been in this league, so it’s kind of unfair to compare him to Matt and Carson because he hasn’t played as much football or seen as many looks. But the more consistent he gets with his footwork, no doubt the more accurate he’s going to be.”
It’s hard to know if Pryor will ever deliver on the promise he showed in college, largely because of the maturity issues he showed in college.
He’s also playing for a General Manager and a coach who had nothing to do with his acquisition, so any fascination the old Raiders had with him is gone, and his future will be based on what he does on the field.