Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

In case you missed it last night Terrelle Pryor officially introduced himself to the NFL with a stunning display that has caused quite a stir amongst Raider Nation. Nobody is saying Pryor will unseat Carson Palmer anytime soon but even CP3 has got to be amazed by the show put on by TP6 during Oakland’s 31-20 victory over Detroit.

Pryor’s amazing athletic ability was on full display during scrambles of 59-yards and 17 the latter of which was good for hanging 6 on the board. Those impressive runs alone scream for Greg Knapp to get Pryor involved in the offense in some capacity this season.

Of course if Pryor is going to remain an NFL quarterback then he won’t be able to rely on his legs alone. There’s too much talent there in the form of arm strength and the ability to make all the throws to have Pryor locked in on Tebow status.

So as not to make it seem like all he can do is run the rock Pryor also tossed two tantalized TDs to rookie Juron Criner. I’d go into detail describing those amazing throws but why attempt do in words what moving pictures can capture so much better?

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Just over24 hours ago Juron Criner was on his way to becoming an enemy of Raider Nation. When it was reported that the 5^th round pick out of Arizona was haggling over $14,000 in bonus money the knee-jerk reaction was that the rookie receiver was more diva than he was determined to prove his worth.

What a difference a day makes.

Today Criner reported to camp on time and under contract. The Raiders confirmed the news via Twitter.

The specifics of Criner’s rookie deal are irrelevant. Whatever it was that ultimately took this deal right up to the training camp deadline to get done is now in the past and will soon be forgotten. Right here and now Juron Criner is a Raider and he’s already got expectations.

Reggie McKenzie’s decision to trade Louis Murphy might have been motivated by financial concerns but Criner is the man that ultimately made that move possible. So you’d better believe expectations are high considering how well Murphy performed as a rookie. Of course Criner’s got a lot more talent in front of him than Murphy did so his road is even tougher.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

The Raiders are said to be offering Criner the standard $144,000 in bonus money he’s owed per league guidelines. Problem is Criner reportedly wants $158,000 and won’t report to camp until the matter is resolved. No exactly a holdout but if it quacks like a duck…

How this situation could even arise is laughable at best. To date Criner has done nothing other than turn a few heads in some non-contact practices during the offseason. His MVP performance in OTAs might have made Reggie McKenzie comfortable enough to part with Louis Murphy but this contract situation is a real warning sign.

At the heart of the dispute is a mere technicality.

NFL rookies are slotted for financial compensation based on where they’re drafted. Criner was taken with a compensatory pick which means he’s exempt from the slotted bonus system. Per league guidelines the Raiders are only obligated to fork over $144,000 in bonus money. Criner wants to be paid in step with the player drafted directly in front of him who netted $160,000.

This situation bears a strange familiarity to Michael Crabtree’s pointless holdout as a rookie. Of course Crabtree was a top 10 pick. Criner was picking his nose for the first four rounds of the draft. His leverage is a few workouts without pads on. What am I missing?

No matter the specifics, Criner needs to get into camp and prove his worth. If he’s talented enough to earn more cash then his performance will dictate his future compensation. Right here and now he’s nothing more than another camp body.

Denarius Moore has a legitimate beef over his contract considering all the other players picked in front of him that got more loot than he did and didn’t do anything last season. However the only reason I can make that statement is because Moore showed up and then showed out. Criner should do the same.