Jon Gruden and Terrelle Pryor

Terrelle Pryor will always remain a controversial figure in Ohio State football history.  But controversy surrounding Pryor predates NCAA allegations.  Pryor's tenure raised continual debates regarding his status as a quarterback, from rote observations regarding his delivery to enlivened debates regarding whether OSU was maximizing Pryor's abilities through its offensive scheme. 

Fortunately, Jon Gruden, by extensively breaking down OSU's film, provided a largely antiseptic perspective that moved beyond these often simplistic debates to provide an insightful analysis of Pryor's strengths and weaknesses.  For that reason it made for an entertaining segment.  And, as someone who has extensively reviewed Pryor's performance these past three years, I found Gruden's analysis largely on-point.

 To me, Gruden largely put to rest the argument that Pryor cannot play quarterback, or that his throwing motion somehow disqualifies him.  As Gruden demonstrated via film, Pryor can make every throw necessary on the football field.  In particular, Gruden focused on Pryor's ability to make the accurate deep out throw to the back shoulder.  Pryor therefore has more than adequate arm strength and accuracy to make those throws.  Delivery is only important to the extent of how quickly you can throw the football. 

Gruden also accurately observed that Pryor makes plays in pressure situations, particularly when he is on the move and has his hand forced.  OSU's last minute win against Iowa is the best example, but Pryor repeatedly made crucial third down plays for OSU. 

In addition, Gruden's 'interview' with Pryor underscored an irrefutable fact--regardless of whether Pryor fit in OSU's offense was best for OSU on-field success, OSU's offense was certainly best for Pryor for preparing for the NFL.  Pryor had the opportunity to run a pro-style offense with numerous sets, both from under center and the shotgun.  Gruden, in fact, commented, that he was impressed with the extensive amounts of sets and pro-style concepts OSU employed. That Pryor was immersed in numerous concepts was most accurately shown when he was able to adeptly discuss OSU's 'kill' package with Gruden, diagramming a check-with-me at the line of scrimmage to check out of a run play to a double skinny post route.  Pryor has had an extensive opportunity to work within pro-level concepts, both with scheme, and at the more granular individual play level--for example, running conceptual passing concepts.  Here, for instance, Pryor pump-fakes the double scat concept to draw up the safety to hit a deep cross behind.

  Compare this, for example, with Cam Newton's interview with Gruden.  While it is unfair to use the perjorative "unsophisticated" to describe Auburn's offense--there is no platonic ideal and Gus Malzahn has been successful throughout his career--it is indisputable that it is very different than the NFL system.   Indeed, Gruden training (and biases) come through in his discussion with Pryor.  At one point, he bemoans the proliferation of bubble screens throughout college football.  At another point, he lambasts the use of 5 wide receiver, empty backfields, and that he would have his defense automatically check to a blitz whenever presented with that look.  In other words, Gruden is criticizing the ever-present college football spread that utilizes horizontal throws, perhaps best represented in the extreme by Missouri.  Gruden, by contrast, comes from a background that emphasizes protection, conceptual, vertical route concepts, and using the run and pass to constrain defenses.  Though OSU did mix in some 'spread' concepts, this was also the basis for OSU's offense, brought by Jim Bollman from the NFL.  Pryor is thus further along in a progression to a NFL QB then some peers.

Gruden was also accurate, however, in identifying Pryor's shortcomings.  Notably, these did not involve his physical gifts as a passer (arm motion, velocity, etc), but rather could be summarized as his mental lack of focus.   As Gruden correctly stated, Pryor was always subject to hot and cold streaks.  Pryor had multiple games where he set, and re-set, the OSU single-game consecutive passes completed record.  However, as Gruden demonstrated with clip against Arkansas where Pryor through a jump ball, Pryor was also prone to mental lapses, going into cold streaks and making, for lack of a better word, bone-headed plays. 

But even more subtle than this, Gruden identified that Pryor needed to improve and embrace the mental aspects of playing quarterback that do not involve throwing the football.  Pryor has progressed tremendously in running a conceptual passing game, reading defenses and making the correct throws.  That is why Gruden said he did not understand peoples criticism of him as a passer.  But Gruden accurately observed that Pryor needs to embrace the little things, such as making sure the offense is in the correct play, understanding and checking in to the correct pass protection, and making sure the offense is in the correct running play.  To paraphrase Gruden, he said Pryor needed to take pride in the running game.  These are the less glamorous part of the position, but also the difference between winning and losing.  The good news for Pryor is that these are learnable aspects, unlike arm strength.  But he must embrace that aspect of the game and improve it in order to succeed in the NFL.

In sum, Gruden silenced claims that Pryor simply does not have the skill set to play quarterback at the next level.  To the contrary, he demonstrated that Pryor has ample talent to read defenses, make the necessary throws, and make plays when necessary.  That does not mean, however, that Pryor is ready to step into an NFL huddle.  Instead, Pryor is still a project, who will likely be best served by going to a team that has an established quarterback, and mentoring for several years.  He must dedicate himself to those mental aspects that Gruden addressed.  Perhaps more importantly, he must prove to the NFL team that drafts him that he is dedicated to improving his weaknesses and continuing to work hard.  If he does that, he has the raw ability to play quarterback in the NFL.