Aug. 25, 2011
GUTIERREZ ARCHIVE
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Paul Gutierrez
CSNCalifornia.com
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Three days after being selected by Oakland with a third-round pick in the NFL supplemental draft, former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has shown up in Napa and signed his four-year rookie contract.
"He will be on the field in Napa tomorrow morning," the Raiders announced via Twitter at 11 p.m. on Thursday.
According to Pro Football Talk, Pryor, taken with the No. 18 pick of the third round, received a 586,000 signing bonus to go with the rookie deal, which, with the new rookie pay scale, should be for some 2.36 million.
The Raiders were off on Thursday and they break camp following a Friday morning practice at 11. Saturday, they have a closed walk-through practice in Alameda.
NFL
Coach Hue Jackson said Pryor will remain a quarterback, at least to start his NFL career.
GUTIERREZ: Why Pryor makes sense for Raiders now
"Obviously I need to work with him," Jackson said earlier this week. "What you see, you see on video tape. The guy had a very storied career at Ohio State. He can throw it, he can run it. He's smart, he's tough, he's played in big games.
"He's another young athlete that we'll add to the mix that will play quarterback and we'll work with him and get this guy to be a good player."
Pryor can begin practicing with team, and can play in exhibition games against New Orleans at the O.co Coliseum on Sunday, as doubtful as that might be, but perhaps more probable in Seattle on Sept. 2.
But a five-game suspension for "decisions that undermine the integrity of the eligibility rules for the NFL draft," which will cost him a reported 110,294 in base salary, ensues that will not lift until Oct. 10.
The Raiders were already without second- and fourth-round draft picks in next April's draft so their decision to use a third-rounder on Pryor has been widely criticized.
But in losing the likes of Nnamdi Asomugha, Zach Miller and Robert Gallery to free agency, the Raiders figure to be rewarded handsomely in the form of compensatory picks next year.
"We fully expect, with the compensatory picks that we will receive," said Raiders senior executive John Herrera, "we will have a formidable draft."