Cleveland Browns: Plenty Of Work Still Ahead For Pryor

The Cleveland Browns wide receiver position is filled with questions and it will take some time before answers are known, even with Terrelle Pryor‘s promising preseason debut.

The first Cleveland Browns preseason is over and they’re now preparing for their game Thursday night versus the Atlanta Falcons. Since their first game ended, plenty of discussion has revolved around Terrelle Pryor’s performance.

Pryor had a good game in limited action. One cannot teach speed and quickness and given Pryor’s athleticism, it is very likely he will be a tough assignment often in the regular season.

Still, had he not caught an impressive pass from quarterback Robert Griffin III which gained the Browns 49 yards, he would have only finished with eight yards! Pryor playing against Green Bay further added to his experience in meaningful reps.

Although it would have been nice to see him do a bit more, statistics are not the key factor for Pryor right now. I am not questioning Pryor’s positive start in the preseason. What I am holding off on however, is the assumption that he is a legit WR1 or WR2.

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In a couple of years Pryor could be exactly that for the Browns. For the meantime, just let him progress as he learns the position. Via a number of different avenues I witnessed that previously mentioned belief regarding Pryor.

It’s great to have goals/expectations for a team/player, but a team/player needs to have a legit chance of making those things possible. I want to see Pryor to succeed, but I do not want him to feel like he potentially is taking in too much too soon. Thinking of him as a WR1 does exactly that.

Rookie Corey Coleman is the WR1 and Josh Gordon eventually will be WR2. The depth chart can say various scenarios now, that is fine. When the games count for real, those two are simply Cleveland’s best options. 

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Pryor is a work in progress but sooner rather than later he is going to be a true difference-maker sooner rather than later. Even if that situation is at the goal line (which is unlikely), then that is helpful.

Of course Pryor is going to be near or at the top of the Cleveland Browns depth chart right now. Both Coleman and Pryor are not playing and the rest of the wide receivers are either not at that level or are rookies that may have potential, but such ability is not near Coleman’s yet.

If that was the case, we would be discussing the possibility of two rookies as the top two wide receivers. Such a scenario breaks down to this: The Browns have some talent, but this season they need to figure out what they do not have and add it.

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Pryor is going be a nice complimentary piece but Cleveland needs more talent. For right now though, Pryor is a good building block to start with.