Monday, Aug. 31 (PM) — One of the most important news items to come out of the Browns’ 31-7 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night — and something that hasn’t gotten much play — was head coach Mike Pettine’s pronouncement concerning Terrelle Pryor.

Just before the game, Pettine said the quarterback-turned-wide-receiver didn’t need to play against the Bucs — which he didn’t — or against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night in the preseason finale to have a chance to make the team.

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Say what?

Pryor has missed all three preseason games thus far and virtually all of training camp with hamstring problems. All that inactivity, coupled with the difficult task of trying to convert to wideout, made it appear at first blush that he had no real chance to earn a roster spot. But apparently that’s not the case.

Indeed, if we take Pettine at his word — and why would we do anything but that? — then it is great news for not just Pryor, but the team as well. It is also an astute declaration by Pettine.

As we’ve said here before — and will keep saying until they do something about it — the Browns really need playmakers. They need skill players with a lot of skill, who can keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night trying to figure out a way to stop them.

Pryor is the one player on the roster who could — the key word here is could — fill that role. The ex-Ohio Stater is big, strong, fast, athletic and, just as important, versatile. He can line up at wide receiver, in the backfield as a running back and under center as a quarterback, which, of course, is where he played at Ohio State. He was as dangerous with his running as he was with his passing for the Buckeyes.

The Browns have no one like him — not even close to him.

As such, if Pettine thinks Pryor can help the team — and, by what he said, it appears that he does — then the coach has to find a spot somewhere on the roster for him.