The Terrelle Pryor Experiment in Oakland remains very much a work in progress.
"Progress" might be too strong a word at this juncture, at least in terms of live action. Pryor admitted himself that he played like "dog crap" in the Oakland Raiders' preseason opener.
He followed that with limited PT against the Arizona Cardinals last Friday. Raiders coach Dennis Allen raves about Pryor's work ethic, but it's fair to wonder how much patience he'll have for a quarterback he had no hand in drafting.
Earlier self-criticism aside, Pryor remains confident he can be a functional NFL quarterback. A great one, even.
"The suspension really screwed me," Pryor told The Oakland Tribune, referring to his five-game ban last season for violating the NFL's eligibility rules. "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."
Pryor is the definition of a project QB, and in fairness to him, entering the NFL as a project QB in the hurried post-lockout NFL landscape of 2011 was a rough situation. The suspension that followed made his rookie season a developmental washout. This is really his first opportunity to grow.
But is Pryor even a No. 3 QB at this point? If bad fortune were to befall Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, could Pryor be competent? There's no evidence yet he would be.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
