CFZ The murky thinking behind the Trey Lance trade

[Bobhaze]

Last August, seemingly out of nowhere, Jerry Jones apparently made a fairly big decision without consulting his HC: He traded a 4th round pick to the 49ers in exchange for the niners former first round QB Trey Lance, who the niners had clearly decided was a mistake. Approximately six months and an entire regular season later, a clear purpose for this trade is still somewhat unclear if not strange.

Trey Lance has yet to take a meaningful snap for the Cowboys and was never on the game day roster this past season. Last off-season, the Cowboys had signed backup QB Cooper Rush to a two year, $5,000,000 contract. Rush has one more year on that deal but it does have a fairly painless out if they choose to release him as an upcoming post June 1 cut.

Also in this mix of head scratchers is the fact that Lance goes into 2024 on the last year of his rookie deal before becoming an unrestricted FA.
So here are some of my questions about the Lance move:

• What was the primary purpose for obtaining Trey Lance? (A successor to Dak, leverage against Dak in contract negotiations, future trade bait with other teams?)
• Are the Cowboys following some kind of plan with him…or not?
• How can the Cowboys know what they have in Lance if they hang on to Cooper Rush as the backup?

Here are some possible scenarios/answers to those questions:

• A- Lance was obtained to give the Cowboys leverage and a possible replacement for Dak should the team decide to move on from Dak. (I don’t see how Lance could be much trade bait if he never sees the field here)
• B- The plan is for Dak to be extended one more year, give time to develop Lance, then make him the starter in 2025. ???? If there’s a plan it’s not at all very clear.
• C- The Cowboys somehow already know what they have (or don’t have in Lance) Or…they are going to find out in TC this year?

Honestly I would be fine moving on from Dak via a trade if this team was willing to do a rebuild similar to what the pack did with Jordan Love last year. The problems there would be 1. Jerry won’t do a “rebuild” and 2. We don’t know if Lance is good enough to hand the keys to the car yet.

So what is the plan for Trey Lance? Is this some grand 3 dimensional chess our GM is playing? Or is it a strange fantasy football move centered on throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks? If there is some grand and brilliant plan here, I’m not seeing it.

Thoughts?

 

[big dog cowboy]

Trey Lance has yet to take a meaningful snap for the Cowboys

That wasn't ever going to happen last year. He wasn't ready and everyone said it.

The plan going forward? We'll see in preseason.

 

[Bobhaze]

That wasn't ever going to happen last year. He wasn't ready and everyone said it.

The plan going forward? We'll see in preseason.

Ok but if they extend Dak for two more years, what will that mean for Lance? I can’t make it make sense.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Ok but if they extend Dak for two more years, what will that mean for Lance? I can’t make it make sense.

I can't either. But Lance has the chance of a lifetime and he should know it. The ball is in his court. Prove you can play in this league or he will be gone. It will be much harder for him to do that if Dak is still around. So if Dak gets extended (he will) it puts Lance is a very tricky situation. At least we will have something to talk about. As if we don't already.

 

[gimmesix]

So what is the plan for Trey Lance? Is this some grand 3 dimensional chess our GM is playing? Or is it a strange fantasy football move centered on throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks? If there is some grand and brilliant plan here, I’m not seeing it.

Thoughts?

I simply think he saw a chance to get a first-round talent for a relatively low cost. There is no grand and brilliant plan other than that and the options it creates.

1) If we re-sign Dak and he plays poorly while Lance has a great preseason, we could have Lance take over. (I consider this to be an unlikely scenario because Dak has generally put up good numbers during the regular season.)

2) If we re-sign Dak and he plays up to his regular level while Lance has a great preseason, we could trade Lance and make a profit on the acquisition.

3) If Lance plays well, we could keep him as a better backup option for the season in case of injury (and even possibly sign him longer term for that role, which I also consider unlikely if he plays well enough for some team in need of a QB to sign him).

You seem to be viewing this as if it is relative to Dak in some way. I don't think it is. The front office has been saying this whole time that it plans to extend Dak. I think Jones just saw it as a chance to get a first-rounder to possibly improve our depth or create value and see how it goes from there.

 

[Creeper]

Last August, seemingly out of nowhere, Jerry Jones apparently made a fairly big decision without consulting his HC: He traded a 4th round pick to the 49ers in exchange for the niners former first round QB Trey Lance, who the niners had clearly decided was a mistake. Approximately six months and an entire regular season later, a clear purpose for this trade is still somewhat unclear if not strange.

Trey Lance has yet to take a meaningful snap for the Cowboys and was never on the game day roster this past season. Last off-season, the Cowboys had signed backup QB Cooper Rush to a two year, $5,000,000 contract. Rush has one more year on that deal but it does have a fairly painless out if they choose to release him as an upcoming post June 1 cut.

Also in this mix of head scratchers is the fact that Lance goes into 2024 on the last year of his rookie deal before becoming an unrestricted FA.
So here are some of my questions about the Lance move:

• What was the primary purpose for obtaining Trey Lance? (A successor to Dak, leverage against Dak in contract negotiations, future trade bait with other teams?)
• Are the Cowboys following some kind of plan with him…or not?
• How can the Cowboys know what they have in Lance if they hang on to Cooper Rush as the backup?

Here are some possible scenarios/answers to those questions:

• A- Lance was obtained to give the Cowboys leverage and a possible replacement for Dak should the team decide to move on from Dak. (I don’t see how Lance could be much trade bait if he never sees the field here)
• B- The plan is for Dak to be extended one more year, give time to develop Lance, then make him the starter in 2025. ???? If there’s a plan it’s not at all very clear.
• C- The Cowboys somehow already know what they have (or don’t have in Lance) Or…they are going to find out in TC this year?

Honestly I would be fine moving on from Dak via a trade if this team was willing to do a rebuild similar to what the pack did with Jordan Love last year. The problems there would be 1. Jerry won’t do a “rebuild” and 2. We don’t know if Lance is good enough to hand the keys to the car yet.

So what is the plan for Trey Lance? Is this some grand 3 dimensional chess our GM is playing? Or is it a strange fantasy football move centered on throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks? If there is some grand and brilliant plan here, I’m not seeing it.

Thoughts?

I'd be okay with any of these options, but the fact that there are all of these options is a good thing. But I also agree the Cowboys made a mistake not giving Lance more opportunities last year. I hope they give him lots of playing time in preseason. If he shines maybe then he becomes trade bait. It would be awesome for Dallas to squeeze a 1st or 2nd round pick out of a trade for Lance. It is also a pipe dream.

It would not surprise me if Jerry did obtain Lance as leverage in Dak's contract negotiations. Maybe Jerry was hoping Lance would develop into a potential starter under MM. Maybe that is why he retained MM one more year. If Lance can be the guy, then Jerry can have less concern saying "no" to Dak's new contract demands.

 

[Reality]

Last August, seemingly out of nowhere, Jerry Jones apparently made a fairly big decision without consulting his HC: He traded a 4th round pick to the 49ers in exchange for the niners former first round QB Trey Lance, who the niners had clearly decided was a mistake. Approximately six months and an entire regular season later, a clear purpose for this trade is still somewhat unclear if not strange.

Trey Lance has yet to take a meaningful snap for the Cowboys and was never on the game day roster this past season. Last off-season, the Cowboys had signed backup QB Cooper Rush to a two year, $5,000,000 contract. Rush has one more year on that deal but it does have a fairly painless out if they choose to release him as an upcoming post June 1 cut.

Also in this mix of head scratchers is the fact that Lance goes into 2024 on the last year of his rookie deal before becoming an unrestricted FA.
So here are some of my questions about the Lance move:

• What was the primary purpose for obtaining Trey Lance? (A successor to Dak, leverage against Dak in contract negotiations, future trade bait with other teams?)
• Are the Cowboys following some kind of plan with him…or not?
• How can the Cowboys know what they have in Lance if they hang on to Cooper Rush as the backup?

Here are some possible scenarios/answers to those questions:

• A- Lance was obtained to give the Cowboys leverage and a possible replacement for Dak should the team decide to move on from Dak. (I don’t see how Lance could be much trade bait if he never sees the field here)
• B- The plan is for Dak to be extended one more year, give time to develop Lance, then make him the starter in 2025. ???? If there’s a plan it’s not at all very clear.
• C- The Cowboys somehow already know what they have (or don’t have in Lance) Or…they are going to find out in TC this year?

Honestly I would be fine moving on from Dak via a trade if this team was willing to do a rebuild similar to what the pack did with Jordan Love last year. The problems there would be 1. Jerry won’t do a “rebuild” and 2. We don’t know if Lance is good enough to hand the keys to the car yet.

So what is the plan for Trey Lance? Is this some grand 3 dimensional chess our GM is playing? Or is it a strange fantasy football move centered on throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks? If there is some grand and brilliant plan here, I’m not seeing it.

Thoughts?

I believe they wanted a young quarterback on the roster with starter potential (based on his draft position) who could eventually start if Dak was lost for the season while also giving them a potential future replacement for Dak.

While Cooper Rush is 4-1 as a starter, he's a bus-driver, not a franchise quarterback so he's a great option to get you through a couple of games each season, but not one if the franchise quarterback is lost for the season.

As a bonus, if Lance's ability improved under McCarthy and his staff's coaching in 2023 and that leads to a solid 2024 pre-season performance, it's quite possible the Cowboys could trade him to a quarterback-desperate team before the season starts for players they need or a higher-than-4th round pick(s).

 

[Coogiguy03]

Last August, seemingly out of nowhere, Jerry Jones apparently made a fairly big decision without consulting his HC: He traded a 4th round pick to the 49ers in exchange for the niners former first round QB Trey Lance, who the niners had clearly decided was a mistake. Approximately six months and an entire regular season later, a clear purpose for this trade is still somewhat unclear if not strange.

Trey Lance has yet to take a meaningful snap for the Cowboys and was never on the game day roster this past season. Last off-season, the Cowboys had signed backup QB Cooper Rush to a two year, $5,000,000 contract. Rush has one more year on that deal but it does have a fairly painless out if they choose to release him as an upcoming post June 1 cut.

Also in this mix of head scratchers is the fact that Lance goes into 2024 on the last year of his rookie deal before becoming an unrestricted FA.
So here are some of my questions about the Lance move:

• What was the primary purpose for obtaining Trey Lance? (A successor to Dak, leverage against Dak in contract negotiations, future trade bait with other teams?)
• Are the Cowboys following some kind of plan with him…or not?
• How can the Cowboys know what they have in Lance if they hang on to Cooper Rush as the backup?

Here are some possible scenarios/answers to those questions:

• A- Lance was obtained to give the Cowboys leverage and a possible replacement for Dak should the team decide to move on from Dak. (I don’t see how Lance could be much trade bait if he never sees the field here)
• B- The plan is for Dak to be extended one more year, give time to develop Lance, then make him the starter in 2025. ???? If there’s a plan it’s not at all very clear.
• C- The Cowboys somehow already know what they have (or don’t have in Lance) Or…they are going to find out in TC this year?

Honestly I would be fine moving on from Dak via a trade if this team was willing to do a rebuild similar to what the pack did with Jordan Love last year. The problems there would be 1. Jerry won’t do a “rebuild” and 2. We don’t know if Lance is good enough to hand the keys to the car yet.

So what is the plan for Trey Lance? Is this some grand 3 dimensional chess our GM is playing? Or is it a strange fantasy football move centered on throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks? If there is some grand and brilliant plan here, I’m not seeing it.

Thoughts?

Well something would have to be done with DAK first which would tell us everything right? I'm still confused as to why they did it also as i'm looking at our drafting, and hate the fact that we don't have a 4th rounder to use. I don't know what Jerry was thinking, was he advised to look at this trade, there were some other trades in years that he could have made without the coaches knowledge, why this one???

 

[Coogiguy03]

That wasn't ever going to happen last year. He wasn't ready and everyone said it.

The plan going forward? We'll see in preseason.

What if he plays well in the pre season and we just made your favorite qb #4 the highest paid, you're stuck!!

 

[Coogiguy03]

I can't either. But Lance has the chance of a lifetime and he should know it. The ball is in his court. Prove you can play in this league or he will be gone. It will be much harder for him to do that if Dak is still around. So if Dak gets extended (he will) it puts Lance is a very tricky situation. At least we will have something to talk about. As if we don't already.

trust me I know all about it!

 

[Coogiguy03]

I'd be okay with any of these options, but the fact that there are all of these options is a good thing. But I also agree the Cowboys made a mistake not giving Lance more opportunities last year. I hope they give him lots of playing time in preseason. If he shines maybe then he becomes trade bait. It would be awesome for Dallas to squeeze a 1st or 2nd round pick out of a trade for Lance. It is also a pipe dream.

It would not surprise me if Jerry did obtain Lance as leverage in Dak's contract negotiations. Maybe Jerry was hoping Lance would develop into a potential starter under MM. Maybe that is why he retained MM one more year. If Lance can be the guy, then Jerry can have less concern saying "no" to Dak's new contract demands.

hey hey hey dak's agent "we have the unknown kid in Lance, you better tell your client he better bring his number down, or we're going with Lance!"

 

[Coogiguy03]

I believe they wanted a young quarterback on the roster with starter potential (based on his draft position) who could eventually start if Dak was lost for the season while also giving them a potential future replacement for Dak.

While Cooper Rush is 4-1 as a starter, he's a bus-driver, not a franchise quarterback so he's a great option to get you through a couple of games each season, but not one if the franchise quarterback is lost for the season.

As a bonus, if Lance's ability improved under McCarthy and his staff's coaching in 2023 and that leads to a solid 2024 pre-season performance, it's quite possible the Cowboys could trade him to a quarterback-desperate team before the season starts for players they need or a higher-than-4th round pick(s).

Would be nice to get something better than what we traded for him, team would have to be desperate, I want the trade to happen before the draft, but there's other ways to get that 4th back

 

[Rayman70]

Jerry did the right thing. We basically gave up close to nothing on a young QB with the tools to be good if he can be honed. I cant bash Jerry for that. I doubt MM had any issue with it either. Its a nonstory.

 

[Rockport]

Last August, seemingly out of nowhere, Jerry Jones apparently made a fairly big decision without consulting his HC: He traded a 4th round pick to the 49ers in exchange for the niners former first round QB Trey Lance, who the niners had clearly decided was a mistake. Approximately six months and an entire regular season later, a clear purpose for this trade is still somewhat unclear if not strange.

Trey Lance has yet to take a meaningful snap for the Cowboys and was never on the game day roster this past season. Last off-season, the Cowboys had signed backup QB Cooper Rush to a two year, $5,000,000 contract. Rush has one more year on that deal but it does have a fairly painless out if they choose to release him as an upcoming post June 1 cut.

Also in this mix of head scratchers is the fact that Lance goes into 2024 on the last year of his rookie deal before becoming an unrestricted FA.
So here are some of my questions about the Lance move:

• What was the primary purpose for obtaining Trey Lance? (A successor to Dak, leverage against Dak in contract negotiations, future trade bait with other teams?)
• Are the Cowboys following some kind of plan with him…or not?
• How can the Cowboys know what they have in Lance if they hang on to Cooper Rush as the backup?

Here are some possible scenarios/answers to those questions:

• A- Lance was obtained to give the Cowboys leverage and a possible replacement for Dak should the team decide to move on from Dak. (I don’t see how Lance could be much trade bait if he never sees the field here)
• B- The plan is for Dak to be extended one more year, give time to develop Lance, then make him the starter in 2025. ???? If there’s a plan it’s not at all very clear.
• C- The Cowboys somehow already know what they have (or don’t have in Lance) Or…they are going to find out in TC this year?

Honestly I would be fine moving on from Dak via a trade if this team was willing to do a rebuild similar to what the pack did with Jordan Love last year. The problems there would be 1. Jerry won’t do a “rebuild” and 2. We don’t know if Lance is good enough to hand the keys to the car yet.

So what is the plan for Trey Lance? Is this some grand 3 dimensional chess our GM is playing? Or is it a strange fantasy football move centered on throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks? If there is some grand and brilliant plan here, I’m not seeing it.

Thoughts?

The plan was to get a former 1st round pick for a 4th rounder. Lance is this years 4th round pick. He’ll have a chance to prove himself a bit in preseason where he will get a lot of playing time. Only then will they have an idea on what to do with Lance. If the Cowboys extend Dak, then he’ll be trade bait for another team. This is why it’s important to get Lance on film in preseason games to hopefully increase his value. If somehow he lights it up in preseason, then the conversation gets difficult.

 

[MarcusRock]

Thoughts?

We already have a guy around here that does that. Lol.

As for that the team is thinking, your guess is as good as mine with Lance's contract done at the end of this season. They've kinda painted themselves into a corner with hope as a strategy it seems. But hey, at least it wasn't a 2nd rounder we traded. But then it would make sense. Lol.

 

[Coogiguy03]

The plan was to get a former 1st round pick for a 4th rounder. Lance is this years 4th round pick. He’ll have a chance to prove himself a bit in preseason where he will get a lot of playing time. Only then will they have an idea on what to do with Lance. If the Cowboys extend Dak, then he’ll be trade bait for another team. This is why it’s important to get Lance on film in preseason games to hopefully increase his value. If somehow he lights it up in preseason, then the conversation gets difficult.

should have let him sling it a bit or run around during those blow outs, made him active for a game possibly. You resign dak then who's your backup? Are they keeping cooper, i'm hoping they'll draft a QB if anything also

 

[Coogiguy03]

We already have a guy around here that does that. Lol.

As for that the team is thinking, your guess is as good as mine with Lance's contract done at the end of this season. They've kinda painted themselves into a corner with hope as a strategy it seems. But hey, at least it wasn't a 2nd rounder we traded. But then it would make sense. Lol.

yeah sounded kind of familiar!

 

[Bobhaze]

I'd be okay with any of these options, but the fact that there are all of these options is a good thing. But I also agree the Cowboys made a mistake not giving Lance more opportunities last year. I hope they give him lots of playing time in preseason. If he shines maybe then he becomes trade bait. It would be awesome for Dallas to squeeze a 1st or 2nd round pick out of a trade for Lance. It is also a pipe dream.

It would not surprise me if Jerry did obtain Lance as leverage in Dak's contract negotiations. Maybe Jerry was hoping Lance would develop into a potential starter under MM. Maybe that is why he retained MM one more year. If Lance can be the guy, then Jerry can have less concern saying "no" to Dak's new contract demands.

That makes some sense to me. And I agree the Cowboys should have given him some snaps in 2023. The 2024 preseason should be all about Trey Lance although ps games are hardly an indication for what it’s like playing in a real NFL regular season game.

I also believe if this team wants to seriously see what they have in Trey Lance, they need to release Rush. He’s not paid a ton but it makes little sense to keep his salary going forward. Going to be an interesting off season.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Ok but if they extend Dak for two more years, what will that mean for Lance? I can’t make it make sense.

I think it’s creating Dallas cap relief with a 2 year extension/restructure while still evaluating Lance this year in camp. I’d assume the plan is to have him compete for QB2 and let things play out from there. If he gets meaningful snaps at all and shows promise I think you’ll see the direction they’ll go.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Jerry said we weren't hanging up the phone till we got our man.
Why we will find out this Spring.
Patience...............