Cincinnati Bengals Tryout Quarterback Terrelle Pryor
Over the weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals held a minicamp and one of the players invited was former Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor came into the league via the supplemental draft after allegations of breaking NCAA rules while he was at Ohio State. Pryor played two seasons with the Raiders and did not look like a very good quarterback. Given, the Raiders were not a very good team, but Pryor’s play did not provide inspire much excitement either.
The Bengals usually only keep three quarterbacks; two on the 53-man roster and one on the practice squad. As of right now, the Bengals currently have three quarterbacks: Andy Dalton, A.J. McCarron and Josh Johnson.
If Terrelle Pryor were to sign with the Bengals, I don’t believe he would make the final roster. For one, the Bengals face serious decisions regarding both the defensive line and linebacker core, so keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster wouldn’t be that helpful, as would cause the Bengals to lose a productive player in a key position. Andy Dalton is the starter therefore, McCarron, Johnson and Pryor would all be fighting for one spot.
A.J. McCarron played at Alabama and while he played with a lot of NFL talent, he won three BCS Championships. McCarron is labeled as a game manager much like Andy Dalton, though in my opinion, McCarron could be better than Dalton if given a chance. While At Alabama, McCarron never seemed frustrated or flustered due to pressure. Andy Dalton’s two greatest weaknesses are these two qualities. Honestly, A.J. McCarron has high upside and could be the future of Cincinnati.
Josh Johnson came into the league after having a great career at San Diego State. Since joining the NFL, Johnson has been a journeyman: in 2011, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in 2012 he played for the Cleveland Browns, in 2013 he was a Cincinnati Bengal and in 2014 he was a 49er. Josh Johnson is a solid backup, but that’s all he is.
Terrelle Pryor’s first two years in the league were not pretty. Although he holds the record for the longest run in Raiders history, that’s one of his only highlights. Pryor does however possess a big arm to go along with his great running ability. If he could get the mental part of the game down, he could be a great quarterback. The Bengals may have one of the most talented rosters, but they need to improve their quarterback play if they hope to make it to the Super Bowl. Andy Dalton is a good quarterback and sometimes great when he’s on, but does not possess the same qualities Pryor does.
In my opinion, I believe A.J. McCarron will win the last spot. If Pryor gets signed to the roster, we will be in for another camp battle for the number two quarterback spot.