CFZ The murky thinking behind the Trey Lance trade

[Adreme]

Trance has not won the back up QB position yet.

Trance wants(more importantly needs) an opportunity to start(play). Unless that has changed he will want to sign with a team that he has a chance to start.

If Dak gets a new contract Trance will not be in Dallas in 2025. Unless he wants to be. Long term back up.

No one is even talking about Trance. Even with hypothetical trades of Dak going to another team. No one is talking about trading for Lance, but there are multiple other QB's being discussed in trade possibilities.

The talking head media have completely moved on from Trance. It is like he no longer exists.

Nobody in the NFL will honestly have a real chance for him to start. At this point he needs to try and stay in the NFL and that means taking whatever is available. Right now his stock is that of a massive bust. There is not a GM in the NFL thinking "lets bring in Trey Lance to compete". He needs to put together a strong preseason and then hopefully that lands him on a roster next offseason.

 

[Chasing6]

This is the most likely thing that is going to happen. I fully expect 2025 to be a major rebuild for the Cowboys.

Nothing about this team is making me feel good about 2024 season.

Another 12-5 season and another one and done in the playoffs is enough.

No changes have been made to the team. So why would you feel any different than how it ended?

 

[big dog cowboy]

The talking head media have completely moved on from Trance. It is like he no longer exists.

What is there to say? Nothing has changed since the season ended. They don't talk about 99% of the players in the league any more.

 

[Chasing6]

What is there to say? Nothing has changed since the season ended. They don't talk about 99% of the players in the league any more.

There are all kinds of trade rumors being suggested everyday, including Dak. And when it involves Dak none of them have Trance Lance taking over.

 

[Captain-Crash]

why does Trey hurt you guys' feelings? You so-called fans should be hoping he turns into a success. The choker can't play forever, and hold the team hostage for another ten years. sheesh

 

[Chasing6]

Trance is only hurting Rush's feelings. Since he is guaranteed to be the back up at $5.2M.

I am mad we wasted a 4th round pick and Cap Space that we don't have to waste on QB that will never play.

I am mad the GM Jeruh is incompetent.

 

[gimmesix]

Trance has not won the back up QB position yet.

Trance wants(more importantly needs) an opportunity to start(play). Unless that has changed he will want to sign with a team that he has a chance to start.

If Dak gets a new contract Trance will not be in Dallas in 2025. Unless he wants to be. Long term back up.

No one is even talking about Trance. Even with hypothetical trades of Dak going to another team. No one is talking about trading for Lance, but there are multiple other QB's being discussed in trade possibilities.

The talking head media have completely moved on from Trance. It is like he no longer exists.

Lance has no leverage at this point. He was traded for a fourth-round pick after flaming out in San Fran. He's not going to find any place that guarantees him a chance to start. It probably would be in his best interest if Dallas offers him an extension, even a modest one, to accept it ... maybe get some escalators added in case he outplays the deal.

Now, Lance like all NFL players likely believes in himself and may be betting on his ability to shine in the preseason and get better offers next year. But he also has to know that if he doesn't shine, he'll get less than what he might be offered now.

What he should do if Dallas offers to extend him is accept it with bonus opportunities included. Maybe have it set up with essentially an escape clause (big roster bonus in 2026) that gives the team that added year it wants but allows him to move on (or renegotiate) after 2025.

 

[Chasing6]

Lance has no leverage at this point. He was traded for a fourth-round pick after flaming out in San Fran. He's not going to find any place that guarantees him a chance to start. It probably would be in his best interest if Dallas offers him an extension, even a modest one, to accept it ... maybe get some escalators added in case he outplays the deal.

Now, Lance like all NFL players likely believes in himself and may be betting on his ability to shine in the preseason and get better offers next year. But he also has to know that if he doesn't shine, he'll get less than what he might be offered now.

What he should do if Dallas offers to extend him is accept it with bonus opportunities included. Maybe have it set up with essentially an escape clause (big roster bonus in 2026) that gives the team that added year it wants but allows him to move on (or renegotiate) after 2025.

He best route would most likely be to go play in Canada and get some experience for 2 years.

 

[gimmesix]

He best route would most likely be to go play in Canada and get some experience for 2 years.

True. I'd love for the NFL to work out an agreement with the XFL/USFL, whatever it's called now, to let players like him get experience even though they are on an NFL team. Like NFL Europe used to do. It definitely wouldn't be for everyone, but just for those who need playing time and aren't likely to get enough of it to develop quickly.

 

[atlantacowboy]

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.

How can he have the “chance of a lifetime “ when he has no chance to play ? The ball is not in his court at all. Daks got the ball and he doesn’t sit even in blow out wins.

 

[atlantacowboy]

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?

Or D, Jerry saw a buy low opportunity and hopes to sell high.

 

[Chasing6]

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.

Did Will Greir prove he can play in this league during pre-season last year?

 

[Chasing6]

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

Exactly why the trade by GM Jeruh was unbelievably stupid. Good thing he not did check with anyone, because there was an overwhelming urgent demand for Trance, that he could not get off the phone with our making deal.

 

[Chasing6]

noun
INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN

1. a person who is outstandingly talented or admired, especially an up-and-comer

Well I am glad you admire him so much.

 

[SultanOfSix]

why does Trey hurt you guys' feelings? You so-called fans should be hoping he turns into a success. The choker can't play forever, and hold the team hostage for another ten years. sheesh

It’s weird. They say all these negative things about him but they keep betraying themselves by continuing to talk about him as if he’s a threat. The fact of the matter is, the Trey talk could’ve been put to rest if Dak played well in the playoffs. But he choked hard and now it’s given JJ and Trey some leverage, despite what people may think.

 

[Captain-Crash]

It’s weird. They say all these negative things about him but they keep betraying themselves by continuing to talk about him as if he’s a threat. The fact of the matter is, the Trey talk could’ve been out to rest if Dak played well in the playoffs. But he choked hard and now it’s given JJ and Trey some leverage, despite what people may think.

It's almost like the hate Rush was getting while he was winning. They finally celebrated that Rush lost. Strangely like Rush was making their idol look bad and showing that just about anybody could win with the team. Strange, man love is real.

 

[Chasing6]

It’s weird. They say all these negative things about him but they keep betraying themselves by continuing to talk about him as if he’s a threat. The fact of the matter is, the Trey talk could’ve been put to rest if Dak played well in the playoffs. But he choked hard and now it’s given JJ and Trey some leverage, despite what people may think.

He is a threat. He stole a 4th round pick and $5.2M in cap space.

 

[big dog cowboy]

How can he have the “chance of a lifetime “ when he has no chance to play ? The ball is not in his court at all. Daks got the ball and he doesn’t sit even in blow out wins.

In that post you quoted I said "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."

 

[big dog cowboy]

Did Will Greir prove he can play in this league during pre-season last year?

Yes, that's why he got picked up the very next day after he was cut. He was unemployed less than 24 hours.

 

[Chasing6]

Yes, that's why he got picked up the very next day after he was cut. He was unemployed less than 24 hours.

And he did not sniff a down with the disastrous QB carousel in NE. Then he was release and picked up by San Diego and now is un employed.

So the pre-season is not going to do very much for Trance regardless of how he plays.