CFZ The murky thinking behind the Trey Lance trade

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

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.

So Lance...who no team had any interest in trading for, until Dallas was the top bidder with a 4th round pick....who then sat on the bench all year...you're now hoping we get a 1st or 2nd rounder for?

Hmmmm...cool.

Why not hold out for TWO first round picks?

Seems like teams will be lining up for him.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

Jerry should look to trade Trey Lance and try to get a late 3rd round or at least an early-to-mid 4th round pick in this year's draft. Use that pick to help shore up the many holes this team currently has.

Nobody will pay for Lance that much. We were the highest bidder with a 4th round pick.

His value has not gone up since.

Zach Wilson has had more success than Trey Lance

 

[5Stars]

I'm willing to bet that Dak never invites Lance to his little football field to practice. Oh, he'll have some professional photographers taking pictures of him and maybe CD and one or two other "friends" of his for a photo shoot to post so his fans can salivate over themselves, but Lance won't ever get an invite.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Nobody will pay for Lance that much. We were the highest bidder with a 4th round pick.

His value has not gone up since.

Zach Wilson has had more success than Trey Lance

Jerry should try to get a 4th round pick in trade for Trey Lance. Use his youth, ability and training with the Cowboys. Jerry messed up trading for Lance when we have so many other issues to fix. He could say the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy have helped improve Lance.

 

[Creeper]

So Lance...who no team had any interest in trading for, until Dallas was the top bidder with a 4th round pick....who then sat on the bench all year...you're now hoping we get a 1st or 2nd rounder for?

Hmmmm...cool.

Why not hold out for TWO first round picks?

Seems like teams will be lining up for him.

"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."

I think you misunderstood what I said.

 

[rambo2]

Jerry should look to trade Trey Lance and try to get a late 3rd round or at least an early-to-mid 4th round pick in this year's draft. Use that pick to help shore up the many holes this team currently has.

They are going to see what they have in preseason and hope to sign him.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

So Lance...who no team had any interest in trading for, until Dallas was the top bidder with a 4th round pick....who then sat on the bench all year...you're now hoping we get a 1st or 2nd rounder for?

Hmmmm...cool.

Why not hold out for TWO first round picks?

Seems like teams will be lining up for him.

well, you do know, he came through the doors in the complex. there is a fountain of kool aid and he takes a sip and then he is just so much better than he was and thus the value goes up. its Dallas Magic Kool Aid.

problem is it wears off rather quickly and doesn't work within the field as well. glitches Jerry is working on

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I'm willing to bet that Dak never invites Lance to his little football field to practice. Oh, he'll have some professional photographers taking pictures of him and maybe CD and one or two other "friends" of his for a photo shoot to post so his fans can salivate over themselves, but Lance won't ever get an invite.

and that's important because?

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

"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."

I think you misunderstood what I said.

what's in the pipe?

 

[5Stars]

and that's important because?

Teammates, Dak should encourage and teach his teammate just in case he goes down for a time. He does it for others on the team.

 

[jterrell]

GB did this stuff all the time.
They stacked QBs and traded them when they needed to.
Dallas got a 3rd QB but one with upside so it's not a bad deal.

He's not playing and his value around the league is low so his cap cost isn't going to be crazy.

If you wanted to give Dak 1 or 2 more shots at it, then do a total rebuild Lance could be that guy to tank/rebuild with.

 

[Jimbo123]

Jerry should look to trade Trey Lance and try to get a late 3rd round or at least an early-to-mid 4th round pick in this year's draft. Use that pick to help shore up the many holes this team currently has.

WHY would any GM pay a 3rd or mid-4th for a 3rd string scrub QB?

 

[Mikexike]

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 he is insurance for Dak going down, and this year he will back up dak with winning the back up job in training camp.

 

[Jimbo123]

GB did this stuff all the time.
They stacked QBs and traded them when they needed to.
Dallas got a 3rd QB but one with upside so it's not a bad deal.

He's not playing and his value around the league is low so his cap cost isn't going to be crazy.

If you wanted to give Dak 1 or 2 more shots at it, then do a total rebuild Lance could be that guy to tank/rebuild with.

What upside? What is 1 thing that Lance does well?

 

[SultanOfSix]

I don't think there was anything murky.

They saw the opportunity to obtain a still young 23 year old raw QB with limited playing time but all the tangibles and potential who they had rated as high second round talent the year he was drafted for a fourth round draft pick. And despite what those who are called "Dak-stans" here deny, if Jerry was "all-in" with Dak, he wouldn't have made that trade. Did Jerry even draft or trade for anyone during Romo's tenure until Dak (who they didn't even expect to start) in 2016 which was to be his 12th year in the league? Jerry saw the opportunity for a potential upgrade based on potential because of Dak's previous flailing in the playoffs over the past some years, and Dak really didn't do anything to change that this year. In fact, he further disappointed Jerry despite how he played during the regular season. It's why Jerry said 'the team goes as far as Dak goes' after the first round playoff exit, effectively putting the blame/success of the team on his shoulders.

 

[America's Cowboy]

WHY would any GM pay a 3rd or mid-4th for a 3rd string scrub QB?

Several teams need a QB. Lance is young, has talent and has been trained by 2 reputable organizations with good coaches. A 4th round pick is cheap and worth the risk.

 

[Jimbo123]

Several teams need a QB. Lance is young, has talent and has been trained by 2 reputable organizations with good coaches. A 4th round pick is cheap and worth the risk.

Lance is STILL after being trained by 2 reputable organizations a 3rd string scrub QB... He does nothing well...

 

[Chasing6]

I'm sorry I didn't mean to disrupt your Dakness.

Not happy wasting draft picks and cap space for a waste of time.

 

[Jimbo123]

All those calling for Lance, can't name 1 thing he does well.

 

[FoxF]

Either Jerry didn’t think this through or was afraid another team would rush in and quickly did the deal.

Or he just plans to resign him at some point after evaluating him.