By: Anthony Miller
In a surprising twist to the quarterback Trey Lance saga, the San Francisco 49ers trade Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
It’s not quite the news Dallas Cowboys fans were expecting on a Friday night, but owner/general manager Jerry Jones made the move to add depth to the quarterback position. The Cowboys reportedly have already informed quarterback Will Grier that he will be cut from the team after their preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Grier was informed of the trade before it went public as he is expected to play every snap of the preseason game.
Lance was a top-five pick of the San Francisco 49ers just a few years ago only making appearances in eight games which is the lowest number of games since the AFL and NFL drafted played together in 1967. During his two-year career in San Francisco, he recorded a 2-2 record as a starter throwing for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 235 rushing yards and one touchdown.
The Cowboys depth chart at quarterback appears to be Lance will most likely go in as the third-string quarterback to start the season. Cooper Rush should be holding onto the number two spot while Lance develops and learns the offense. Nothing will change at the starting position as Dak Prescott will still be the starter.
What The Move Means for the Dallas Cowboys
Let’s start with the obvious: Dak Prescott isn’t going to be benched anytime soon. Everyone wants to jump to the narrative that bringing in Lance is to send a message that Prescott should be worried about his job. Prescott’s current contract has him signed through 2024 as he is set to make $29 million. Moving Prescott off the team would hit them hard while it technically could happen.
This is more about taking a risk on a young quarterback who has more upside than the other quarterbacks they have on the roster behind Prescott. Rush proved himself to be a winner last season going 4-1 as the starter but doesn’t have the physically gifted traits Lance has.
What makes Lance such an intriguing prospect for Dallas is he has a cannon of an arm and has great mobility. His biggest flaw in his game is his accuracy, which has been in question the last couple of seasons as he has only completed about 54 percent of his passes. To top it off, he really hasn’t played much football from North Dakota State to the NFL.
The raw talent is enough though for the Cowboys to give up just a fourth-round pick to take a risk on a young quarterback. While Rush wins the game, Lance could be a game-changer if he has the right situation in place and gets experience. This was a smart move for Dallas to throw a lower draft pick away for a player who could turn into either a top backup quarterback or a franchise-changing playmaker.
Featured image via AP Photo/Matt Patterson