Pryor was on Eagles’ offseason radar
The Philadelphia Eagles made plenty of headlines during their 2017 offseason, including the signing of receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Now they’ll go up against one they didn’t sign — Terrelle Pryor.
PHILADELPHIA » The worstkept secret when free agency began six months ago was the Eagles would sign a difference-making wide receiver.
There wasn’t much hope the salary-capped Eagles would be able to land Alshon Jeffery, the best available prospect.
Well, the Eagles apparently looked into Terrelle Pryor, the converted quarterback who felt disrespected by the Browns. They were interested and so was Pryor, who wound up with the Redskins.
“Yeah, I believe so during the time of free agency,” Pryor said on a conference call Wednesday. “Then something happened inhouse over there. Something I don’t exactly know. That’s all I heard from my agent. I’m sure my agent knows much more about the details. But it doesn’t matter. Now I’m here.”
Jeffery inked a one-year $9.5 million contract with the Eagles, Pryor a oneyear $6 million pact with the Skins. They might share that “in-house” story in the season opener Sunday at FedEx Field.
The important thing for Pryor, a 6-4, 228-pound target with 4.38 speed in the 40-yard dash, is to be in the right situation.
“I really wanted to play with Kirk,” Pryor said of quarterback Kirk Cousins. “I thought he was a great quarterback. And that’s what I was looking for, to play with a good quarterback. All I needed was another year to get my feet on the ground and show I could dominate and be even better than last year. I got about four offers with four or- five-year deals for a lot of money but it wasn’t for me. I took a one-year deal just to show I could do it, and dominate at it, and then set myself up for four or five years and sign somewhere.”
*** Pryor and Josh Doctson, the 2016 first-round draft pick out of TCU, have a significant height advantage over Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby.
Pryor is 6-4, Doctson 6-2. Darby is 5-11 — and proud of it.
“I’ve been playing corners for years now,” Darby said. “They ain’t the first big receivers I ever went against. You’ve just got to play fast and physical against with guys bigger and that size. “Just play the ball.” Doctson didn’t play last year due to injuries. Pryor had a good year with a bad team, the Browns.
Darby escaped from Buffalo, the Eagles’ lack of quality cornerbacks convincing them to acquire him for wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a thirdround pick.
Darby feels comfortable with the defense, the transition aided by former Bills and current Eagles safety Corey Graham. For the most part Darby’s job is to cover the guy in front of him.
On a lighter note, Darby doesn’t feel comfortable with No. 41.
“I can’t get nothing else,” Darby said. “Corey Graham isn’t giving up 24. (Jaylen) Watkins isn’t giving up 26. And (Wendell) Smallwood is not giving up 28. Whether I kept the number or changed it, it wasn’t going to be that good.”
Darby doesn’t like numbers in the 30’s. And he inquired about No. 25.
“No, they’re holding 25,” Darby said.
That would be (winkwink) LeSean McCoy’s number.
*** NOTES » All of the Eagles practiced fully Wednesday including backup quarterback Nick Foles. He’s still working through the inflamed elbow … For the Redskins, center Spencer Long (knee) and linebacker Ryan Anderson (neck stinger) were limited practice participants. Long didn’t play in the preseason, his problematic knee scoped. The backup pivot is rookie Chase Roullier (6-3, 321), a sixth-round pick out of Wyoming … Eagles practice squad quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who was with the Redskins last year, gave them scout team looks of the Eagles. “Shoot, it was you’re just trying to throw it deep because Carson has a hose and a lot of the same concepts they have here,” Sudfeld said. … The Eagles are favored by one point despite sporting a five-game losing streak versus the Skins. “I think they’re all must wins, quite honestly,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said. “I think the opener is a very important game. It kind of can set the tempo for the rest of the season. I talk to our guys about starting fast. That goes without question, how we start the season.”