On the surface, the Oakland Raiders are well-positioned to take a leap of faith in Terrelle Pryor.
They remain in the early stages of a rebuilding process. Carson Palmer, the current starter, is a now quarterback on a tomorrow team. Why not hand the keys to Pryor and see if the kid can play?
You can safely assume this will be an offseason topic between head coach Dennis Allen and new offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who spoke with the media on Wednesday.
"If you have a guy that can stay there and play 65 plays a game and do those things and also be able to throw the ball from point A to point B accurately, if he possesses those skills as well, then you certainly have something," Olson said, via The Associated Press.
"So that's what we'll have to find out with Terrelle Pryor. We know what kind of an athlete he is. We need to find out what kind of decision maker he is, and we need to find out if he's a guy that can also sit in the pocket and deliver the ball from point A to point B accurately and on time and making the right decisions."
Pryor started Oakland's season finale, finishing 13 for 28 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 24-21 loss to the San Diego Chargers. He added 49 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Offseason Forecast: Oakland Raiders
With the offseason under way, Around The League examines what's next for all 32 teams. Dan Hanzus breaks down the Raiders. **More ...**
"I like the ceiling of Terrelle Pryor and where we think he can get to, but his skill set is completely different than Carson's, so we go forward with the idea, we know what Carson Palmer is," Olson said. "He's played in the league a number of years. We know what he can do.
"We don't really know quite yet what Terrelle Pryor can do at this level but we have a good feel for what he is athletically, so there will be packages for both of them to allow them to compete and we'll just be ready in either direction."
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
