According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Browns “very likely” to use their franchise tag on WR Terrelle Pryor now that they’ve finalized a four-year, $50 million contract with OLB Jamie Collins.
There was talk during the season that the Browns were likely to franchise whichever player they didn’t sign to a long-term contract before free agency, so this doesn’t come as big surprise.
Franchise Pryor next year would run the Browns around $16 million fully guaranteed for the 2017 season, depending on how much the salary cap increases.
Pryor has said multiple times that he would like to re-sign with the team and return to Cleveland next year.
“I love playing for Hue [Jackson]. I love playing for [Jimmy] Haslam. He is a great owner. They have given us one of the best facilities. They want to win,” Pryor said, per Keith Britton. “I don’t believe in taking the easy road and going to teams just because they are great. I would rather start how we are and then build it into an empire. I believe in battling. I don’t believe in taking the easy way out. Whatever happens in free agency, I love being here. I respect the coaches, the owners and at the end of the day, it is up to them.”
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 later bringing him back.
The Browns signed him to a one-year, $1.67 million restricted deal last March and he’s now in position to be an unrestricted free agent in the coming months.
In 2016, Pryor appeared in 16 games and caught 77 passes for 1007 yards receiving and four touchdowns for the Browns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 32 wide receiver out of 115 qualifying players.
We have Pryor featured in our Top 100 – 2017 Free Agents list.
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