Cowboys Oddsmaker: Will They Draft Terrelle Pryor?

Earlier this week, the NFL informed former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor that he would be able to enter the league's supplemental draft, to be held on Monday. Now, when a big-name college player finds himself eligible to be plucked away by any NFL team willing to take the plunge, every Cowboys fan reflexively shudders and pictures Jerry Jones stepping in and pulling the trigger. Jerry's big on pulling triggers. So now we have to ask ourselves: He wouldn't draft Pryor, right? Right?

Now, the league ruled that Pryor would be forced to sit out the first five games of his NFL career, essentially upholding the suspension Ohio State handed down to him after he was found in violation of NCAA rules. This is an idiotic ruling (Pryor will appeal it), but it's hard to get worked up over it because no NFL team is going to play Pryor that early in the season anyway. There's no chance of it. Pryor would be coming in so far behind that no team, even the most desperate one, would throw him out onto the field any time before December. There's no point. So a team like Dallas, with no immediate QB need, makes a small amount of sense for Pryor as a landing spot, given that they'd have time to groom him.

Now, you know that the Double J likes himself some shiny new toys (Dez Bryant is a STAR! YEEEEEEEHAWWWWWW!). You also know that Jerry isn't a afraid to take a chance on a fellow with some NCAA issues on his resume (again, see Bryant). And if he slips far enough on Monday, Pryor could probably be had for a low round pick. A small gamble, AND YOU KNOW JERRY LOVES HISSELF SOME GAMBLIN'.

But there are some obvious reasons that Jerry would avoid Pryor, the most prominent being Stephen McGee. With Jon Kitna old enough to qualify for free soup at the local senior center, the Cowboys need a young passer to eventually back up Tony Romo and, should Romo fall to pieces, replace him. McGee, drafted by the Cowboys in the 4th round two years ago, appears very much to be that guy. The Cowboys aren't going to drop him to make room for Pryor. And they aren't going to get rid of Kitna right now because Kitna is a vital immediate backup. To keep Pryor, they'd have to carry four QBs on the roster, which they won't do.

Pryor has a pro day scheduled for Saturday to strut his stuff for NFL teams. It was originally scheduled for last Friday, but got scuttled when his eligibility for the supplemental draft was called into question. The Cowboys pick ninth in that draft, and if they take Pryor, they will forfeit a 2012 draft pick that corresponds to the round they take him in on Monday. The odds they defy logic and do so? Call it 100:1. LEGIT.


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