Redskins’ Pryor struggles to fit in with new offense
Ex-Buckeye, Brown so far has been an $8M mistake in D.C.
Helpless PHILADELPHIA — on the Washington sideline, Terrelle Pryor was reduced to a very expensive booster.
Pryor was signed to become the Redskins’ No. 1 receiver.
The free-agent receiver so far has simply been an $8 million bust in burgundy.
“I was on the sideline really just cheering my teammates on,” Pryor said. “Just trying to be the best teammate I could be on the sideline and get guys pumped up. Whatever I could do on the sideline.”
Whatever he did, it was more productive than anything he did on the field.
Pryor was benched to start the game and caught just two passes in an ugly 34-24 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Pryor, the free agent receiver from Cleveland who seemed like a receiver on the rise when he signed with the Redskins, saw a season teetering on disappointment slide into a fullblown disaster.
Just in case Pryor didn’t get the message when he was benched for Josh Doctson, coach Jay Gruden gave a clear signal who Kirk Cousins’ top target is this season:
“We drafted Josh to be the No. 1 guy,” Gruden said.
Doctson, Washington’s first-round pick in the 2016 draft, had only three catches for 39 yards. Sure, the Redskins didn’t make him a first-round pick so he could sit on the bench. But if there’s some way to play Doctson and Pryor in the same formation and watch them chase 1,000 yards receiving, Gruden hasn’t drawn up the formula. Or maybe not. Perhaps most telling that Pryor is simply an afterthought in the offense came when Cousins was pressed on the overall ineffective production from the receiving corps.
Cousins said the all the receivers were talented, and reeled off Jamison Crowder, Doctson and Ryan Grant.
“We do believe there are guys who can play,” Cousins said.
He wasn’t finished. He mentioned Vernon Davis, Jordan Reed and Chris Thompson.
With his mouth or his arm, Cousins refused to make Pryor a target.
“As long as we’re moving the football, I don’t care who’s doing it,” Cousins said.
Without Pryor’s expected production, the Redskins have yet to have a receiver reach 100 yards this season.
Dallas signs Nugent: Mike Nugent is back in the NFL. The Centerville High School grad, who also starred at Ohio State and spent seven seasons with the Bengals, signed with the Cowboys on Tuesday.
Dallas needed a kicker after losing Dan Bailey to a groin injury Sunday at San Francisco. Nugent spent training camp with the Giants but lost a training camp battle with Aldrick Rosas.
The Bengals released Nugent last December after he struggled on both field goals and PAT kicks.
He passed the 1,000-point mark for his career last season, and his 132 points and 33 field goals in 2011 are team records. He shares the team mark for longest regular-season field goal (55 yards).