Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor is excited for the competition Flynn would bring

The Oakland Raiders had a hectic week full of rumors and innuendo regarding the quarterback position. From contract disputes, to trade rumors, to rumors that Carson Palmer wanted out of Oakland, the past week was possibly the most eventful, uneventful week in recent history. While everyone still awaits a resolution of the Carson Palmer, Matt Flynn saga to end, the person that will be most impacted by these changes just keeps working.

Terrelle Pryor received his first opportunity to start at the end of the 2012 season and the taste simply was not enough. This off season, Pryor has been hard at work trying to improve his game, even going so far as to hire three QB coaches on his own dime in order to try and raise the level of his play. For a fan base used to guys like JaMarcus Russell and Rolando McClain who refused to put any effort in, this is a refreshing change.

But when all of the trade rumors began flying, many were quick to assume that since the Raiders and general manager Reggie McKenzie were looking to add Matt Flynn, that they had no interest in giving Pryor a shot at the starting QB position. But instead of these events being a death blow to Pryor, they are really the best thing that could have happened to the young QB.

There was very little chance that Pryor would have been able to unseat Carson Palmer as the starter for the Raiders in 2013. But now that it appears Palmer will not be with the team, Pryor is suddenly right in the mix, if not the favorite to win the job. When asked how he felt about all of the trade rumors via Twitter, Pryor responded with the best response you could ask for. Pryor expressed excitement about the competition, noting it would make the team better and finished by asking for patience of the Raiders fan base.

The fact that the Raiders appear to be attempting to add another QB should not be seen as an abandonment of Pryor. In fact, if reports are true that the hold up in the finalizing of the deal is attempting to get Flynn to take a pay cut, then it is clear Flynn would not be considered an automatic starter. Flynn makes good money, but not obscene money. If the Raiders want him to take a pay cut, it is a good sign that they view him as a good guy to come in and compete, but not one who the Raiders are ready to hand the reins over to.

This means that while the Raiders are not ready to hand Pryor the reins yet either, they are ready to allow him to compete for the starting job. And unlike when it looked like Palmer would be his competition, Pryor has a much better opportunity to win the job if Matt Flynn is his competition. Many in the Raider Nation fan base would like to see Pryor as the next starting QB and the acquisition of Matt Flynn may be the move to push him into that position.