CFZ The murky thinking behind the Trey Lance trade

[KingCorcoran]

If they really want to go all in on the QB position, this year is their best chance:

• Resign Dak for one more season (is he eligible for the franchise tag?)
• Keep Trey Lance
• Sign the best remaining QB in the 1st round (e.g. Bo Nix) since this year's class is deep and next year's won't be

That'll give you 3 potential QBs to build the franchise around. Of course they'd have to actually see what they have in Lance/Nix. They can just cut/trade Dak and throw the young guys to the wolves. Unless, of course, they believe in Dak. In which case, they should sign him up asap. But if they don't believe in Dak, then they shouldn't spend $60M on him and keep their young guys on the bench another year.

The Cowboys cannot trade or tag Dak Prescott.

 

[ArtClink]

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?

Anyone is better than Cooper Rush. He is awful. The games he won when Dak was hurt were a freakin’ miracle.

 

[Rockport]

Basically just an insurance policy if Daks gets hurt as Rush isn’t a long term fix . And being a former 1st round pick presents some potential to be groomed.

And for a 4th round pick as poorly as we draft in mid to late rounds minimal to give up.

I think this was also an opportunity to silence some of the critics who point out we don’t draft QB’s often enough especially in early rounds. So this gives us a former 1st round pick. Something we haven’t had this era. Kinda tricky for the old fool. And since he was a bust in SF there’s no pressure to give him playing time kinda burying him until later.

We’ll likely resign Dak for at least a couple years, keep Rush for his final season and then prob extend Lance one season at a time. Trey without any playing time for a couple years won’t have any outside interest and we can resign him cheap and begin giving him some playing time if Dak fizzles out or after Rush is gone.

Really a nothing Jethro can lose situation. And has that outside possibility of becoming a heir apparent at some point with minimal investment nor pressure. This is actually a move I applaud for our old fool.

Stopped reading at this point because obviously you’re wrong.

 

[Chasing6]

If they really want to go all in on the QB position, this year is their best chance:

• Resign Dak for one more season (is he eligible for the franchise tag?)
• Keep Trey Lance
• Sign the best remaining QB in the 1st round (e.g. Bo Nix) since this year's class is deep and next year's won't be

That'll give you 3 potential QBs to build the franchise around. Of course they'd have to actually see what they have in Lance/Nix. They can just cut/trade Dak and throw the young guys to the wolves. Unless, of course, they believe in Dak. In which case, they should sign him up asap. But if they don't believe in Dak, then they shouldn't spend $60M on him and keep their young guys on the bench another year.

Keeping Trance is not part of the solution.

 

[gimmesix]

You can't negotiate a rookie contract.

OK. Didn't know that. Guess we'll just see how it all plays out. I'm not expecting much but I'm always hoping for the best.

 

[Chasing6]

OK. Didn't know that. Guess we'll just see how it all plays out. I'm not expecting much but I'm always hoping for the best.

We have the option of of accepting his 5th year of his rookie deal at $25M, which I can only assume we will pass without hesitation. Then he will be a free agent in 2025.

 

[KJJ]

What do you think backup QBs do all year? Just watch film and hand out water on the sidelines? How did Jordan Love sit for three years and then become a monster as an NFL starter? Recommending a guy sacrifice millions of dollars to to go play in the USFL against inferior competition is some of the worst advice I've ever heard.

Jerry traded a 4th for him last year and while I completely understand why that move is controversial and possibly a mistake he still demanded a 4th rounder. No way he doesnt have multiple suitors as a free agent next year.

You’re going way overboard calling Jordan Love a monster at QB after one good season. He sat for 3 years because he was playing behind Rodgers.

 

[KJJ]

Anyone is better than Cooper Rush. He is awful. The games he won when Dak was hurt were a freakin’ miracle.

I wouldn’t say he’s awful but we’re limited with him. Success with him is dependent on great defensive play and a solid running. If we have to air it out with him and the defense isn’t holding up we’re in trouble. I’m still laughing at one fan that claimed we would have won the Super Bowl with them had he remained the starter in 2022.

 

[big dog cowboy]

This is blatantly false commentary. He played QB in high school and in college. The only reason he didn't start 3 full seasons in college is because Covid wiped out almost all the 2020 season and he opted out of the 2021 season to go pro.

He did enough for pro scouts to consider him a high quality QB prospect coming out of college. Most projected him going very high in the 1st round. And, again, it's nonsensical to pretend a guy who set an NCAA record for most passes without an interception, and was MVP of the National Championship game, has no knowledge of how to play QB. The truth is - as opposed to what you post - he was only 20 years old when he was drafted. That made him very young and needing more maturity and time, not void of potential.

Wish I could like this more than once.

 

[OmerV]

Phenom:

noun. Slang. one who is extremely talented, able, or skilled; specif., in sports, a young, exceptionally gifted or promising player; a phenomenon.

He proved that at the college and high school level. If he had show to be exceptionally gifted and promising in the NFL he would still be a 49er, or the 49ers would have got better than a 4th rounder for him. I'm not saying he can't or won't show that, but there does have to be some evidence to support the phenom claim

 

[baltcowboy]

No big school would give him a scholarship as a QB. He was viewed as a defenseback prospect by big schools.

Transfer after his two big seasons at NDST.

 

[Setackin]

• 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?

all of this was laid out very clearly by most of the media when it happened, and the level of clarity the media spoke with heavily implied it was coming straight from ownership.

1) He was brought in because they saw potential in him. So did the 49ers when they drafted him. Dallas believes that more time in the classroom and practice field will help his development.
2) yes, they have a plan. It’s to sit him and develop him as much as possible before putting him in a live game. Like Rodgers, Romo, Love, Mahomes, etc.
3) because they can walk and chew gum at the same time. Cooper being on the team doesn’t mean they get blinders on and can’t see his deficiencies and progress… they can literally compare them at the same time.

If Dallas thinks he’s actually improved enough to start but still have Dak they can offer him a decent backup QB money for him to stay. If not he can walk. This really is difficult to understand.

 

[Pantone282C]

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 needed a project QB as insurance if QB1 went/goes down. He had potential. And, it is low cost for now.

 

[Jimbo123]

You can't negotiate a rookie contract.

A rookie contract can't be renegotiated but it can be extended.

 

[Jimbo123]

Anyone is better than Cooper Rush. He is awful. The games he won when Dak was hurt were a freakin’ miracle.

Apparently, there's a 3rd string scrub team QB on the team who is worse than Rush.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Anyone is better than Cooper Rush. He is awful. The games he won when Dak was hurt were a freakin’ miracle.

miracle. yes. the defense averaged 13.5 points a game, they even scored in a couple of games. give me that for the season and I will give you a superbowl trophy.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

all of this was laid out very clearly by most of the media when it happened, and the level of clarity the media spoke with heavily implied it was coming straight from ownership.

1) He was brought in because they saw potential in him. So did the 49ers when they drafted him. Dallas believes that more time in the classroom and practice field will help his development.
2) yes, they have a plan. It’s to sit him and develop him as much as possible before putting him in a live game. Like Rodgers, Romo, Love, Mahomes, etc.
3) because they can walk and chew gum at the same time. Cooper being on the team doesn’t mean they get blinders on and can’t see his deficiencies and progress… they can literally compare them at the same time.

If Dallas thinks he’s actually improved enough to start but still have Dak they can offer him a decent backup QB money for him to stay. If not he can walk. This really is difficult to understand.

well, they got one year to get him in a real game and evaluate. in 2025 we owe him 25M if we decide to keep him. so they better be dang sure by next year if he is worth keeping.

 

[Jimbo123]

well, they got one year to get him in a real game and evaluate. in 2025 we owe him 25M if we decide to keep him. so they better be dang sure by next year if he is worth keeping.

LOL, they would only have to pay him $25M if they pick up his 5th option by May 2nd of this year. They'll decline and then release him after 2024.

 

[Chasing6]

LOL, they would only have to pay him $25M if they pick up his 5th option by May 2nd of this year. They'll decline and then release him after 2024.

Once Dak is extended the Trance pipe dream is over. That is why the trade for him was pointless to begin with. If GM Jeruh, would have talked to his staff, they could have explained that to him.

Unless Trance wants to sign up to be a back up QB long term.

 

[Eightneight]

My guess is....spaghetti on the wall.