The Oakland Raiders opted against seeing if Pryor could blossom this offseason, instead trading for Matt Flynn and drafting Tyler Wilson.
Head coach Dennis Allen has been clear that Pryor is not yet ready to start, according to Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group. In the same article, Allen noted the central issue concerning Pryor:
There's been no lack of effort on his part. Still, when you look at it, the quarterback position, he's still young in the position, and there's still a lot of improvement he needs to make. He's got a great athletic skillset, but still some of the finer points about playing quarterback are still what he needs to continue to get better at.
Allen has highlighted the main conflict involving Pryor. That is the argument involving raw physical skills versus unrefined technique.
Nobody can dispute that Pryor offers a greater level of athleticism at the position than anyone currently on the Raiders roster. While his craft and guile as a passer need work, Pryor's playmaking potential as a runner is his best chance to shine in the NFL.
This is, after all, the age of dual-threat quarterbacks. Today's coaches are more willing than ever to tailor their schemes to fit run-first quarterbacks.
That means mixing college concepts with pro-style principles. It is no longer a semi-mocking compliment to praise the rushing skills of a quarterback before emphasizing passing technique.
The ability to challenge a defense with the threat of a scramble is no small thing. More and more teams are encompassing elements of the read-option, pistol and Wildcat schemes into their offenses.
The Raiders could do the sam...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
