CFZ The murky thinking behind the Trey Lance trade

[KingCorcoran]

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.

Leverage to accomplish what? Dak Prescott as a free agent will command a monstrous contract making him the highest paid player in the NFL. So if “JJ” offers less than that to Dak because he has Lance, Dak, through his agent, will simply tell Jerry, “understood, we’re good with the current deal as is”. What kind of leverage is that? Cowboys fans have to come to terms with the fact Dak Prescott has all the leverage in any contract negotiation with the Cowboys, particularly because he is better off cut from the team than staying with the team. Jerry Jones has to pay Dak Prescott enough to want to continue playing for the Cowboys. And the mindless notion of a “discount” to the billionaire owner of the world’s most valuable sports franchise is particularly deluded. If Dak Prescott wants to exhibit benevolence he can certainly find a more worthy charity than the Dallas Cowboys, their fabulously wealthy owner, or his teammates who’ll be negotiating for every dime they can get to play in the NFL. Leverage. Come on.

 

[big dog cowboy]

And he did not sniff a down with the disastrous QB carousel in NE.

That wasn't your question.

 

[Chasing6]

Leverage to accomplish what? Dak Prescott as a free agent will command a monstrous contract making him the highest paid player in the NFL. So if “JJ” offers less than that to Dak because he has Lance, Dak, through his agent, will simply tell Jerry, “understood, we’re good with the current deal as is”. What kind of leverage is that? Cowboys fans have to come to terms with the fact Dak Prescott has all the leverage in any contract negotiation with the Cowboys, particularly because he is better off cut from the team than staying with the team. Jerry Jones has to pay Dak Prescott enough to want to continue playing for the Cowboys. And the mindless notion of a “discount” to the billionaire owner of the world’s most valuable sports franchise is particularly deluded. If Dak Prescott wants to exhibit benevolence he can certainly find a more worthy charity than the Dallas Cowboys, their fabulously wealthy owner, or his teammates who’ll be negotiating for every dime they can get to play in the NFL. Leverage. Come on.

Jeruh from day one said that Trance was not a threat to Dak, but the Trance fans can continue to live in their fantasy land. At least for a few more weeks.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

What Dak does have is the power to say, “I don’t want to be traded there.”

Correct, but most of us know what it means when we hear "no trade clause", we just don't feel the need to specify the exact definition.

Though for the casual fan, thanks for pointing out what exactly it means...

 

[Chasing6]

Correct, but most of us know what it means when we hear "no trade clause", we just don't feel the need to specify the exact definition.

Though for the casual fan, thanks for pointing out what exactly it means...

Dak also has the power to say, I am done with this circus. I have no interest in extending in Dallas and prefer to be a free agent next year. Then go to a team that is positioned well to support his success and appreciate his skill set.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Dak also has the power to say, I am done with this circus. I have no interest in extending in Dallas and prefer to be a free agent next year. Then go to a team that is positioned well to support his success and appreciate his skill set.

I wish he would, quite frankly...

 

[MikeT22]

Dak also has the power to say, I am done with this circus. I have no interest in extending in Dallas and prefer to be a free agent next year. Then go to a team that is positioned well to support his success and appreciate his skill set.

And then go one and done in the playoffs.

 

[Chasing6]

And then go one and done in the playoffs.

Sure and Dallas go 9 and done in the regular season.

 

[jgboys1]

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

Because I don’t have confidence in the powers to be!

Actually 12-5 and a first round playoff elimination would be a pleasant surprise for next season.

 

[Chasing6]

Because I don’t have confidence in the powers to be!

Actually 12-5 and a first round playoff elimination would be a pleasant surprise for next season.

Well I think most of our fans were pleasantly surprised with the regular season. They did not think we would win the division. Then some how got over confident and expected more in the playoffs.

Even though we had been blown out a few times in the regular season. We were exposed and proved we could not stop the run. Then did not even attempt to stop the run. Made no adjust the entire game.

I believe our players, coaches and a lot of fans thought we had an easy win at home. We got punched in the the mouth, went into shock, started pointing fingers at each other and basically did not respond until it was too late.

 

[Jimbo123]

Leverage to accomplish what? Dak Prescott as a free agent will command a monstrous contract making him the highest paid player in the NFL. So if “JJ” offers less than that to Dak because he has Lance, Dak, through his agent, will simply tell Jerry, “understood, we’re good with the current deal as is”. What kind of leverage is that? Cowboys fans have to come to terms with the fact Dak Prescott has all the leverage in any contract negotiation with the Cowboys, particularly because he is better off cut from the team than staying with the team. Jerry Jones has to pay Dak Prescott enough to want to continue playing for the Cowboys. And the mindless notion of a “discount” to the billionaire owner of the world’s most valuable sports franchise is particularly deluded. If Dak Prescott wants to exhibit benevolence he can certainly find a more worthy charity than the Dallas Cowboys, their fabulously wealthy owner, or his teammates who’ll be negotiating for every dime they can get to play in the NFL. Leverage. Come on.

If they don't extend Dak, signing CeeDee to a massive contract would be a waste.

 

[Chasing6]

If they don't extend Dak, signing CeeDee to a massive contract would be a waste.

I agree. Need to go all in one way or the other. Trying to do both and everyone getting pissed off at players for not performing against top teams is ridiculous, when our GM keeps handcuffing the team.

I would also think the benefits of advertising compensation for being super star in a big market would allow you to offer the team somewhat if a discount.

 

[quickccc]

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?

Give Trey the bulk of the reps of training camp as No.2 - and give him all of the reps and start at preseason. Fill him up and get the biggest hard look we can this summer, even if it means by-stepping Cooper Rush
in his last year deal here in '24.

Niners have former high first rd pick Sam Donald as backup to Burdy,... why not Lance if he proves competent in preseason ?

if Lance is horrible in preseason, we could always go back to Cooper Rush in an improvising move.
Starting franchise QBs are just too damn hard to find. ... the premise is try to give Dak (yet) another major stepping stone in additional players - ( and coaches)

Dak was 2nd in the entire NFL in league MVP voting - behind only Lamar Jackson, and the Cowboys
were statistically top NFL team in points avg per game and among top five in total yardage offense.
and that's twice Dak has reg season success offensively under two different play callers - so obviously
Cowboys will not give up on Dak, but will re-sign him to a mega deal that will make him
among the highest paid QBs in the NFL. He's gonna get that Lamar/Deshaun top contract.

 

[Beast_from_East]

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.

Its the 4th round pick we appear to have pissed away..............that is what I dont like.

If Dak gets a new extension at $60 mill a season, Lance is never going to see the field outside of preseason.

Maybe Lance looks really good in preseason and we trade him for a pick higher than a 4th? That is about the only thing that could salvage this trade.

 

[Chasing6]

Give Trey the bulk of the reps of training camp as No.2 - and give him all of the reps and start at preseason. Fill him up and get the biggest hard look we can this summer, even if it means by-stepping Cooper Rush
in his last year deal here in '24.

Niners have former high first rd pick Sam Donald as backup to Burdy,... why not Lance if he proves competent in preseason ?

if Lance is horrible in preseason, we could always go back to Cooper Rush in an improvising move.
Starting franchise QBs are just too damn hard to find. ... the premise is try to give Dak (yet) another major stepping stone in additional players - ( and coaches)

Dak was 2nd in the entire NFL in league MVP voting - behind only Lamar Jackson, and the Cowboys
were statistically top NFL team in points avg per game and among top five in total yardage offense.
and that's twice Dak has reg season success offensively under two different play callers - so obviously
Cowboys will not give up on Dak, but will re-sign him to a mega deal that will make him
among the highest paid QBs in the NFL. He's gonna get that Lamar/Deshaun top contract.

Not a fair comparison. Not even close. Sam Darnold played at USC and started for 2 years. Then started 66 games in the NFL.

Sam Darnold has started 55 games in the NFL has taking starter reps for multiple years. He has thrown over 10,000 yards and 61 TD's.

It is not difficult to understand why he beat out Trance in SF.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Sure and Dallas go 9 and done in the regular season.

Trey or Rush can beat up the Dog teams we usually feast on.
5-1 with Rush and no Daktrash you know what I'm saying.
WOOF WOOF get me a QB that doesn't do a DAKCHOKA either vs good teams in the reg season or the playoffs.
That's what we want and DAKTRASH ain't it!

 

[quickccc]

Not a fair comparison. Not even close. Sam Darnold played at USC and started for 2 years. Then started 66 games in the NFL.

Sam Darnold has started 55 games in the NFL has taking starter reps for multiple years. He has thrown over 10,000 yards and 61 TD's.

It is not difficult to understand why he beat out Trance in SF.

Cowboys may the trade for Trey Lance because of his physical talent, physical tools and ceiling potential, more so than game experience - otherwise they would've stay put and been content with game experienced but physically limited Cooper Rush.

 

[Jimbo123]

THINGS ARE NEVER SO BAD THAT THEY CAN'T GET WORSE.
..................BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

 

[Chasing6]

Cowboys may the trade for Trey Lance because of his physical talent, physical tools and ceiling potential, more so than game experience - otherwise they would've stay put and been content with game experienced but physically limited Cooper Rush.

I understand that. Unfortunately when you trade for players with potentially high ceilings, they also come with potentially low floors, especially when they have little to absolutely no experience.

The Niners figured this out and punted to Dallas for a 4th round pick and to recoup as much cash as possible.

Remember Niners strongly dislike the Cowboys and felt very comfortable sending Trance to us. In addition, we helped the Niners to continue to separate themselves from us by giving them our 4th round pick and $5M of our Cap Space.

I can't wait to see who the Niners peak with our 4th.

GM Jeruh must be playing 3D Chess, because no one else sees his infinite wisdom. Including the other 30 teams that were unwilling to part ways with more than a conditional 7th round pick.

 

[Beast_from_East]

THINGS ARE NEVER SO BAD THAT THEY CAN'T GET WORSE.
..................BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

Exactly.

Losing in the 1st round of the playoffs every year sucks.

You know what also sucks? Winning 5 games a year, see the Tennessee Titans and their new QB Levi.