CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns tried to get Terrelle Pryor back before the trade deadline last week, but the Redskins didn't want to part with him, league sources told cleveland.com.

Pryor, who caught 77 passes for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns for the Browns last season, has been benched by Washington in favor of second-year wideout Josh Doctson at the featured "X" position, and has only 20 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown through eight games.

If the Browns had been able to strike the deal, they would've gotten Pryor for the bargain basement price of $1.5 million for the second half of the season. He signed a one-year deal with the Redskins worth $6 million guaranteed, including a $3 million signing bonus and a $3 million base.

The Browns would've been looking at a receiving corps for the home stretch of Pryor, Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman -- the dream trio they were hoping to showcase last season. Instead, Pryor is faced with trying to salvage the second half of his season in Washington.

Pryor was benched for the Redskins' 34-24 loss to the Eagles on Monday Night Football Oct. 24, playing only one snap in the first half. Overall, he played a season-low 30 snaps in that game, with two receptions for 14 yards. In his last game, he caught two passes for 17 yards against the Seahawks.

Despite working with quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason, Pryor hasn't developed the chemistry that the two anticipated would be natural.

"It's a work in progress," Cousins told reporters after that loss, via espn.com. "I don't want to write a narrative until we have a full sample size of the season. There's a lot of football left. There's no reason he can't have a very strong 10 games and really finish strong this season."

Pryor also seemed to hold out hope for finishing strong.

"It's just the chemistry of the offense," he said. "It's a spread-the-ball-around offense. Like I said, it's early. There are a lot of guys around the league starting fresh with new quarterbacks that isn't killing the game, either. We have 10 games left. We'll see what happens."

One source told cleveland.com that Pryor likely wouldn't have been opposed to a trade because he loved playing for Browns head coach Hue Jackson, who's believed in him since Pryor was drafted as a quarterback by the Raiders in 2011.

Jackson also gave him a bona fide shot last season to be a receiver, and Pryor responded with a 1,000-yard effort in his first full year at the position.

After the season, however, he didn't bite on the Browns' offer of about $8 million a year for four years -- about the same money they ended up giving to free agent Kenny Britt.

Pryor, represented by Drew Rosenhaus, wanted much more that, somewhere between $10 million and $14 million a year, according to sources, and was hoping the offer would increase. Instead, he signed the one-year deal with the Redskins worth $6 million -- including $2 million in incentives that likely won't be reached now -- and bet on himself to have an even better season.

Meanwhile, things are going even worse for Britt in Cleveland than they are for Pryor in Washington. Through five games, Britt has only 10 receptions for 128 yards and one one TD.

He sat out one game with a knee and groin injury, and was sent home before the Houston game, along with Corey Coleman, for missing curfew the night before. He was also benched for the Vikings game in London despite being active for the game. He stood on the sidelines in uniform and never set foot on the field.

When the Browns' unofficial depth chart came out this week for Sunday's game against the Lions, Britt was relegated to second team for the first time behind Ricardo Louis.

Jackson indicated that the depth chart was made by someone else and that it's not written in stone.

"I haven't seen that depth chart, okay? It's not me. I haven't seen that one,'' he said. "I wouldn't read into that too much. (But) he has to go make plays. He just needs to continue to make contributions."

Britt, who signed a four-year deal worth $32.5 million in the offseason -- including $10.5 million guaranteed -- hasn't fit in or off the field, and could be gone after this year. In addition to a lack of production, the 2016 1,000-yard receiver for the Rams hasn't been the mentor the Browns hoped he'd be.

Pryor, on the other hand, flourished under Jackson and receivers coach Al Saunders and likely would've contributed more for the Browns this season than he has for the Redskins. Saunders said before the season that he'd be "shocked'' if Pryor didn't make the Pro Bowl this year.

What's more, the Browns could've tried to wrap him up to a long-term deal before he hit the market again in March.

The Redskins, however, have already paid him $4.5 million of his $6 million this season and likely want to get their money's worth.

Now, if the Browns want him back next season, they'll likely have to bid for him in free agency. But at his current pace, the price won't be nearly as high as it could've been.