Dennis Allen called Terrelle Pryor the Oakland Raiders' best chance at winning games in 2013 after the young quarterback beat out Matt Flynn for the starting spot. Well apparently Allen believes Pryor gives the Raiders the best shot at winning for the future as well. As Pryor continues to develop with each week, Allen is loving the quarterback's chances at being a star for years to come.
Many believed the Raiders would turn to the 2014 draft for a new quarterback. Back in the preseason when both Flynn and rookie Tyler Wilson were struggling to succeed, Oakland looked destined to pick up yet another quarterback. However, Pryor emerged from the pack and is leading the Raiders to a 2-3 record.
"He's still a young player," Allen said, via CSNBayArea.com. "He's still got a lot of growing to do and a lot of getting better to do. He's a talented player and we're going to continue to try to build with him and try to grow with him."
While Allen is not ready to anoint the quarterback the new face of the franchise right now, but he believes as Pryor continues to develop he will then become that player. Pryor himself is well-aware of how quickly things can turn despite the hot start. The quarterback should look at players like Vince Young and Josh Freeman as examples of how quickly a team can turn on a player. Recently, Pryor said he was simply trying to avoid a Tim Tebow-like fate.
"He said [Tebow] was ready to go" Pryor said (via ESPN.com), recalling a conversation with coach Tom House. "Tebow looked great, he was throwing the ball great, wasn't missing anything. Then they said he went to [training] camp, and when he went back, he reverted back to himself because [that's] when the bullets are flying at you."
If Pryor can avoid a digression in his progress, Reggie McKenzie can cross quarterback issues off his rebuilding checklist. The general manager was shocked that Pryor eventually won the starting quarterback spot as McKenzie had planned on Flynn being the future of the team. However, he is loving what Pryor brings to the table.
"Pryor, he's, in my mind, he's made leaps and bounds from last year, from the time I spent with him," McKenzie said. "He's done a good job. The guy just comes in, goes to work, from the summerto training camp to each and every preseason game, he's just gotten better and better. I think he's getting more confident, and that just comes with playing. So, just let him play."
Pryor struggled against the Kansas City Chiefs but the quarterback plans on learning from his mistakes. So far, Week 6 was the only small struggle Pryor has seen, leaving the quarterback to consider the playoffs a small possibility. McKenzie would certainly love that.
