Terrelle Pryor has finally been made eligible for the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft, but the former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback will still have to sit for five games - the original length of his suspension at Ohio State for his role in a memorabilia scandle that lead to his departure from Ohio State and Jim Tressel's ouster in Columbus.
ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news via Twitter on Thursday morning, ending a back-and-forth between Pryor and the NFL about his status in the draft. The NFL's rules dictate that a player is only eligible for the Supplemental Draft if his circumstances change between the time a player must declare for the regular NFL Draft and now. In Pryor's case, he was already suspended for five games and had originally planned to stay with the Buckeyes, even going so far as to be on the sidelines during the team's annual Scarlett and Grey game.
Things changed, however, when further allegations against the school forced AD Gene Smith to look closer at his allegiance to his football coach. Once Tressel was gone, Pryor had little choice but to leave.
What teams will take a flyer on Pryor remain to be seen, but whichever team 'drafts' Pryor will have to wait five weeks to see him play or practice, something that may scare a few teams off come draft day on Monday.