BEREA, Ohio -- Besieged by injuries, particularly concussions, to their wide receivers, the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday re-signed Terrelle Pryor, who spent all of training camp with the team while making the position change from quarterback.
However, with Pryor having not been in the Browns' (2-9) or any other system since Week One of the NFL season, the coaching staff does not believe he will have a role in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium.
"I think this week would be difficult, but we'll see where he is and what he's retained and what kind of shape he's in," Browns coach Mike Pettine said. "He was truly a work in progress."
Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo added, "I just don't know if he is mentally ready there yet to divulge into a gameplan and coming off the street and being out of it for so long. You have to get into a mental mindset to be able to play in this game. Let's get him back in the building here for a week or two or three. I don't know. That is up to Coach Pettine, and we will see if Terrelle can make an impact for us."
While the 6-foot-4, 233-pound Pryor has not been in an NFL meeting room for more than three months, the Browns' coaches were impressed with his physical conditioning and believe that given more time to acclimate to the system, he could have some productivity this season.
"Terrelle looks like he is in great shape," DeFilippo said. "You would never know he wasn't in an NFL building working out and running and practicing. He has fresh legs. At this time of the year, a lot of the guys that have been here have been playing ball. He has fresh legs, so he looks a little bit faster than those guys.
"I can't tell you he is going to go out there and play this week, but I do think at some point before the season is over, we will probably see Terrelle Pryor on the field."
In addition to his physical attributes, Pryor brings back to Cleveland NFL experience as a starting quarterback. Following the placement of Josh McCown on season-ending injured reserve because of a broken collarbone, the Browns have just two quarterbacks on the roster, Austin Davis and Johnny Manziel.
In three years with the Oakland Raiders, Pryor completed 170 of his 302 throws for 1,953 yards and nine touchdowns against 12 interceptions, and he could do double duty as a wide receiver and emergency quarterback if he is able to get on the field for a game.
"He's brought back as a receiver and the thinking behind that is early in the year, it was truly for us a roster-spot decision," Pettine said. "It was hard to justify that spot when we had other needs and having to have other guys up and essentially that was kind of on the list for a long time, 'Hey we'd like to get him back. This is an explosive athlete that we think, over time, can master the position.'
"I just felt the time was right to get him back here, get him practicing, playing wideout, but the insurance that he does give us, especially now with Josh being hurt, is you at least have a viable third quarterback on the roster, a guy that's played the position in the league and had production.
"He would be up as a receiver, and then, would be there. It's also or just having one on the roster, meaning more than likely given our depth at other positions if we only have two up and he's not up, if there ended up being another issue the following week and we had an injury, then he would be up. It'll give you the luxury, if and when that he is active on gameday. That's a little bit of an insurance policy there, but we still completely see him as a wide receiver first."
DeFilippo added, "I am really glad we got Terrelle back. I really am. Not only does he provide us with a security blanket for the future for being a big-body guy that can run and catch but, also now again with Josh being down, he also provides you the possibility of a third quarterback. He knows the system. He has been in this system. He provides you a security blanket both at receiver and at quarterback."
According to Pettine, seeing Pryor willing to come back to Cleveland is "certainly a positive," and will give the Browns an opportunity to evaluate him for the future.
"We certainly see that as a positive," Pettine said. "I thought he built some good relationships here. I know what he said on the way out that – I forget exactly what it was but it was born from his competitiveness – he thought he could get it done and wasn't thrilled with being let go.
"It was something where I had a meeting with him and we looked him in the eye and said this isn't a one-way street and there is a chance down the road that this could happen again. It was something, like I said, that we put on the back burner, and I'm glad we're able it do it because he'll get a month's work at the position. Hopefully, he can contribute if not continue to develop and build some momentum toward the offseason."
