Browns Have No Plans To Franchise WR Terrelle Pryor

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, citing a league source, reports that the Browns still have no plans to use their franchise tag on free agent WR Terrelle Pryor before Wednesday’s deadline.

The franchise tag would run the Browns around $15 million for the 2017 season fully guaranteed. Although, it would also buy them some to get a long-term extension in place.

Even so, Cabot says that the Browns are still hoping to sign Pryor to a long-term extension before the start of free agency on March 9.

Last we heard regarding Pryor, Cabot reported Pryor had “instructed” his agents that he “wants to stay in Cleveland” and to get a deal done with the Browns.

According to Cabot, Pryor’s agents were expected to have “strong discussions” with the Browns at some point in the near future.

“I know this is an important month,” Pryor said last week. “But I do love being with the Browns and like I said before, this thing isn’t about joining a different team because a different team’s good.

“That’s not what it’s about. I love the building process here. I started out in my career never coming in the front door. I’ve alway got to go in the back.”

Pryor, 27, was taken by the Raiders in the third round of the 2011 supplemental draft. He lasted a little over three years in Oakland before he was traded to the Seahawks for a seventh-round pick that ultimately became DB Jonathan Dowling.

Pryor briefly played for the Chiefs and Bengals before later being claimed off of waivers by the Browns. Cleveland elected to cut him loose to make room for RB Robert Turbin last year before bringing him back.

The Browns signed him to a one-year, $1.67 million restricted deal this last March.

In 2016, Pryor appeared in all 16 games and caught 77 passes for 1007 yards receiving and five total touchdowns for the Browns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 31 wide receiver out of 115 qualifying players.

We have Pryor featured in our Top 100 – 2017 Free Agents list.