With multiple talented receivers to play with, Terrelle Pryor Sr. was attracted by Washington's deep set of offensive weapons and the opportunity to practice against one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.
One of the biggest reasons wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr. elected to go to the Washington Redskins instead of remaining with the Cleveland Browns is the amount of weapons he'll be playing alongside this season.
During Cleveland's 1-15 season in 2016, Pryor was easily the most productive skill player, recording 77 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns. No other receiver had more than 55 receptions or 615 receiving yards.
In Washington, Pryor Sr. will line up next to the likes of Jamison Crowder, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis and 2016 first-round pick Josh Doctson.
"I liked the supporting cast that they had," Pryor Sr. said Monday on a conference call with local media. "I mean, along with Kirk Cousins being the quarterback still, assuming that he's going to be there. Whether he was or not, I like the supporting cast – Crowder and Doctson coming up, Jordan Reed as well and Vernon Davis. It's going to put a lot of pressure on defenses. I think that can help out and I think it can help adding myself in there, help us and let us get some wins."
Pryor Sr. said he remains optimistic about Cousins' return and has been exchanging texts with him since signing with the Redskins last Friday.
They discussed Pryor Sr. coming to Washington and the potential of a couple of the receivers meeting up to work out together.
"They welcomed me," Pryor Sr. said. "I'm really excited to meet my new teammates, I really am. I can't wait to get to work with these guys."
At 6-foot-4, Pryor Sr. will provide Washington its biggest target on a talent-laden unit. While he differs from the departing DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garçon, he should be able to learn Jay Gruden's offense rather quickly.
"It was kind of the same thing as my coach back in Cleveland, Hue Jackson. They are very similar," Pryor Sr. "It's kind of like I can step right into it. There's going to be different wordings and different phrases that you use, but it could be easy – a lot easier – to pick up, you know, rather than learn a whole different offense."
Check out these photos of Terrelle Pryor.
What's hard to believe about Pryor Sr.'s success during the 2016 season is exactly where he was in his transition from quarterback. He had just made the full-time switch over to wide receiver in 2015 and only had two career catches in his first three seasons.
Even more difficult was the fact that he had to play with five different quarterbacks – Cody Kessler, Josh McCown, Robert Griffin III, Charlie Whitehurst and Kevin Hogan. None of the five quarterbacks attempted more than 200 passes, making it difficult to develop a rapport with whoever was under center during a given week.
"I really came along," Pryor Sr. said of his 2016 performance. "I met with a lot of people and I am still learning right now, we can talk about that. I met with my trainer, Randy Moss, and guys of that like, and my coaching staff with the Browns. Definitely… It's an incredible jump from the offseason workouts in April up until June and I just took a huge leap – leaps and bounds. I just put my head down, to tell you the truth, and just kept grinding at it. That's all we can do is just working at your craft and I think hard work really gets you that luck."
Pryor Sr. will also benefit from potential practice matchups with 2015 All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman.
The two engaged in quite the battle during a 31-20 Redskins victory over the Browns last season. While Norman would jump one of Pryor's routes for his first interception in Washington, the Ohio State product finished the game with five receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.
Any time they'll line up opposite of each other, it will allow both to sharpen their skills.
"I'm very excited, you know, because at the end of the day, iron sharpens iron," Pryor Sr. said. "I'm not saying whether I'm on his level or I'm not saying anything like that. What I do know is that he's a competitor and I competed against him at a high level. He competed against me at a high level and he's a very competitive guy, a very fiery guy.
"The opportunity to compete with somebody that wants to be great, I mean, I'll take that every day. I'm very excited about that because I know he's going to help me and I can help him because I'm going to compete my butt off. I think at the end of the day that's what helps get your team better."
