Raiders reach agreement with QB Pryor
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor agreed to a four-year contract with the Oakland Raiders on Thursday, three days after being picked in the third round of the NFL supplemental draft.
A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced by the team. ESPN first reported the announcement.
Raiders senior executive John Herrera said Pryor had arrived in the Bay Area and was expected to sign a deal Thursday night.
Pryor can start practicing with Oakland today. The Raiders play their third preseason game on Sunday against New Orleans and it would be unlikely that Pryor would play. The Raiders then will have three practices before the preseason finale at Seattle on Sept. 2.
After that game, Pryor will be ineligible to practice with the Raiders until serving a five-game suspension.
Eagles 24, Browns 14
Michael Vick led three scoring drives, the first-team defense pitched a shutout and host Philadelphia beat Cleveland on a rain-soaked night. Vick took a lot of hits and had to escape trouble quite a bit. Still, he managed to complete 10 of 18 passes for 98 yards. He ran for 24 yards and a touchdown. Colt McCoy and the rest of Cleveland’s starting offense hardly looked like the crew that scored five TDs on nine possessions in the first two preseason games. The Browns punted four times, missed a field goal and McCoy threw an interception on six first-half drives.
Ravens 34, Redskins 31
Rex Grossman and John Beck each threw a touchdown pass in their duel to become the starting quarterback for Washington, which lost to host Baltimore. Tyrod Taylor threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jones with 22 seconds left for the Ravens (2-1), a score set up by LaQuan Williams’ 38-yard punt return.
Grossman started for the Redskins (2-1). Each quarterback alternated, playing two series each before third-stringer Kellen Clemens entered in the fourth quarter.
Grossman went 8 for 15 for 112 yards and directed an 80-yard scoring drive. Beck completed 6 of 10 passes for 108 yards with an interception and guided a 97-yard march against Baltimore’s second-string defense for a 28-21 lead in the third quarter.
Bengals 24, Panthers 13
Cincinnati rookie quarterback Andy Dalton led four first-half scoring drives while overall No. 1 draft pick Cam Newton of Carolina struggled in the Bengals’ preseason victory at Cincinnati.
Dalton, a second-round pick from Texas Christian, was 11 of 17 for 130 yards and a touchdown. Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner for national champion Auburn, finished 6 for 19 for 75 yards. He ran for a 16-yard touchdown.
Around the league
The NFL is experimenting with an eighth on-field official during a dozen preseason games. A deep judge, stationed in the middle of the field behind the secondary, also was used in eight exhibition games in 2010. There is no timetable for making the position a permanent part of current officiating crews. … The Carolina Panthers claimed Kentwan Balmer off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks, addressing a need at defensive tackle. … Soldier Field is getting new sod. The new surface will be installed over Labor Day weekend, in time for the opener against Atlanta on Sept. 11. Bears players have repeatedly blasted the conditions at Soldier Field. … .