Terrelle Pryor

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor takes off running after a reception during the first day of training camp, July 29, 2016, in Berea. John Kuntz, cleveland.com

(John Kuntz)

BEREA, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon baked in the hot sun at the Randy Moss Academy in North Carolina last summer, dreaming of the day they might be together on the field for the Cleveland Browns.

At the time, it seemed like a pipe dream. Gordon was gearing up to sit out the entire year for violating the substance abuse policy again, and had worn out his welcome with the Browns. Pryor, recently cut by the Bengals as a quarterback, was attempting to make the quantum leap to wide receiver for the Browns-- at the age of 26.

Pryor was a month into the metamorphosis, and had plenty of doubters.

Nevertheless, they envisioned streaking down the field together and towering over smaller defensive backs, who would have no answer for the Twin Terrors.

Now the two are close to realizing their dream.

Gordon is back with the Browns after being conditionally reinstated by by the NFL, and Pryor looks ready to wreak havoc as a big, deep threat for the Browns after a full year at receiver. When Gordon comes off his four-game suspension in week 5, the two can start to make their magic.

"I really can't wait to get out there with him and I really can't wait to see him play,'' Pryor said Monday. "It's going to be awesome.''

While Pryor addressed the media for the first time in training camp, Gordon worked out with a trainer behind him, trying to come back as soon as possible from his pulled quad muscle. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam called the injury "a blessing'' on Sunday, one that's allowing Gordon to ease back into the game after his year away.

But it's easy to see why the Browns are quietly getting excited about their overhauled receiving corp. Pryor, Gordon and No. 15 overall pick Corey Coleman all on the field at the same time? Take that, AFC North.

"When Josh was talking to coach Saunders yesterday, he said 'this is one of the best receiving corps since I've been here -- it is the best receiving corps,''' Pryor said.

Saunders had to be pinching himself on the field Friday, the first day of camp, when he stood on the sidelines talking to Gordon and Pryor and had to crane his neck to look up to them.

"That's a 6-5 guy and a 6-3 guy -- that's some big dudes right there,'' Pryor said last summer when pondering the future.

And the possibility of them appearing on the field together quite often is very real. Pryor was moved at the start of camp from the "X'' receiver to the "Z,'' meaning he and Gordon -- and "X'' -- will often line up opposite each other.

The move likely means that Hue Jackson is carving out a role for Pryor now that Gordon is back. Previously, he was working at the "X'' along with Coleman. At "Z'' he's lined up on the side of the tight end, or the slot receiver, depending on the formation. It's been another big adjustment for Pryor, but he's working overtime to nail it.

"Every day it's been getting better and better,'' said Pryor. "I'm getting more comfortable with it. I'm getting a lot more reps at walk-through and stuff like that, so it's really starting to come."

Jackson, who coached Pryor as a quarterback in Oakland in 2011, is amazed by his transformation and always finding new and creative ways to use Pryor.

"He made the transition from quarterback to receiver, but he's done an outstanding job,'' said Jackson. "We've moved him from one side of receiver to another side so again, he's in another transition. He's handled it extremely well. I'm very proud of what he's doing.''

His progress was never more evident than during a team drill on Saturday when he streaked past cornerback Jamar Taylor, went over the top of him and made a spectacular diving catch of 50-yard Robert Griffin III ball. He popped up, spiked the ball and then jogged back down the field for a high chest bump with Griffin and plenty of congrats from his teammates.

"Yeah, that was my first (in camp),'' he said. "There was a bunch good balls thrown to me in camp so far, but we haven't connected. I caught a couple, but it was out of bounds or something happened. I like to run deep, run past guys, so it is what it is. It's football. I'm an aggressive guy. I like to get the juices flowing. I like to get the team up. Big play. Let's make a big deal."

But Pryor bristled at the notion that the big catch was his first this year in practice. In fact, he closed out minicamp with another sensational grab of a deep Griffin ball.

"I've been making these plays in OTAs, minicamp, not just myself, a lot of guys, so that's not the first time I've done that since I've been here,'' he said. "It's exciting, for myself, just the progress I've made and to actually be out there battling with corners and being able to beat corners man-to-man and getting off press pretty easy now. It's the ultimate competitive sport and I love it to death.''

When he's not catching it, he's throwing it. Jackson has found dozens of ways to use Pryor, capitalizing on the dual-threat quarterback skills he knew him for in Oakland.

"As you guys know, there are a lot of different things that we'll do with Terrelle because he's very talented,'' said Jackson "We'll just continue to find different ways to have him make a difference on our offensive football team."

Before making plays on the field, Pryor's in the classroom helping Gordon get up to speed on Jackson's system.

"He's phenomenal,'' said Pryor. "He broke the rules, and he dealt with the consequences but this guy he sits by me in every meeting, asks me questions. Coach Jackson will be up there teaching, and it's kind of frowned upon to talk while the coach is, but he's okay with it because I know the offense pretty well. I'm sitting right between Corey and Josh and we have conversation the whole time.

"You can tell the guy's very hungry. I can't wait for him to get back out there. I'm excited.''

Pryor said Gordon, who led the league with 1,646 yards in 2013, has even "been in special-teams meetings, going over and talking me through stuff and he's not even on special teams. He wants to be involved and he's been doing an awesome job. I really can't brag anymore. He's doing awesome and I'm very proud of him.''

He re-iterated that Gordon, who shares the same agent in Drew Rosenhaus, is different than what he seems in the media.

"If you guys knew Josh, like really knew him, you would see that he's got a big heart,'' said Pryor. "He's a competitor, he's itching to get out there, he's a hard worker. It's totally opposite of what I heard before he came back.''

Last summer, when Gordon offered to work with Pryor at the Moss Academy, he told the fledgling receiver, "one day when I get back in, I think it could be a great thing, so I really want to teach you some stuff,'' Pryor said.

And now, the dream for both is about to come true, and it promises to be a nightmare for others.