There is no doubting that athletic quarterbacks are having success in the NFL. A dual-threat quarterback can open up the offense and throw off even the best defensive unit. Since players like Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick are exceling quickly in the league, more teams are looking for a quarterback that hold that kind of runner-passer skillset. Oakland Raiders new offensive coordinator Greg Olson feels he has one on his team, Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor has only seen a small amount of action in the NFL after Oakland took a chance on signing him. He started the final gme of the the 2012 season against San Diego where he went 13 for 28 for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. He also ran for 49 yards and a score, looking like a true mobile quarterback. While Carson Palmer is the established veteran quarterback of the Raiders, Olson believes it will be important to see how Pryor progresses in offseason workouts. They are hoping to have the next Kaepernick on their hands.
"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.
The team is aware of what kind of athlete Pryor is, comparing his athleticism to the likes of Cam Newton, but they want to find out what kind of decision maker he is and whether he can sit in the pocket and throw the ball accurately. That will be the deciding factor as to whether or not he takes the team from Palmer.
Palmer is more of a traditional quarterback, having played over 120 games and throwing for over 30,000 yards. He runs a more traditional NFL offense as a pocket-passer. The Raiders believe that while Palmer is still a quality quarterback, Pryor has a higher ceiling for success.
"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.
There is also the factor of Palmer's contract for the upcoming season. His $13 million base salary is not helping the Raiders' salary cap. They are hoping to be able to renegotiate his contract for something that helps the team financially. If they are unable to get a deal done and they feel Pryor could possibly move forward as the starter, Palmer could find himself on the outside looking in at Oakland.