CFZ The murky thinking behind the Trey Lance trade

[Chasing6]

The value of this trade will be determined this offseason with Lance.

Is he prepared to do the things in the offseason to get himself ready to do at the very minimum one thing: Force MM to name him the backup.

If he is capable of challenging Dak right now for the #1 spot then we have got a real interesting situation here.

He is entering his fourth year in the league. He got a chance to sit in his third year and learn and more important get healthy. He has had three injuries in three years so getting an off year will help his body.

I for one am really interested in seeing how competitive Lance is prepared to be this offseason, and the upcoming camps. Can he pull a Tony Romo and make it impossible to keep him off the field by running the scout team and beating the first team defence on a regular basis.

Let's see how serious Trey Lance is about being the starter.

It will be determined with Dak's contract.

 

[Jimbo123]

Rush is better than Trance.

The gap between Dak and Rush is about the same as between Rush and Lance.

 

[Chasing6]

The gap between Dak and Rush is about the same as between Rush and Lance.

Not even close.

 

[Jimbo123]

Not even close.

Do you think Lance is that bad?

 

[Big_D]

I do think Lance should be the #2 guy this year if they're going to get any value out of this trade.

 

[Chasing6]

Do you think Lance is that bad?

I can only go off what I know.

He struggled in HS. Only won the starting job his season year. - starting 1 season. Only threw for 800 yards. Did not get a scholarship. Colleges wanted him to play defense. Took his 3rd year to win the starting job at a small school. Played weak competition. Sat next year due to Covid. Had basically sat for 3 years in the NFL.

So regardless of how young he is, he has played 1 year in college at a low level.

Rush threw for 6,500 in HS in 2 years.

Rush played 50 games in college, 12,000 yards and 90 TD's, 139 passer rating.

So I am not impressed by potential. He may be a tremendous athlete, but he is not a QB at this point. Basically did not play in HS, was more of a runner, than a passer, then 1 started 1 year in college. It takes a long time to learn the QB position.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I'm not sure what to do here. I posted what I felt. I'm just a fan. I spit-ball to much maybe.
Bad enough you have to listen to SAS, now you have to read my sh!+. Well, ya don't.

I have more respect for you than SAS, so there is that

 

[Toro9]

I have more respect for you than SAS, so there is that

Ha!

 

[kskboys]

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.

Lance is not a 1st round talent.

 

[gimmesix]

Lance is not a 1st round talent.

What I meant is that he was viewed as a first-round talent. That's why he was taken in the first round. Obviously, the hope is that he is a first-round talent and just slow to develop because of an overall lack of playing time. That's why they acquired him for a fourth-round pick.

 

[speedkilz88]

I find it very odd that there is so much hate for lance.

It's the same hate they have for the team.

 

[speedkilz88]

I remember reading that Jerry and Mike had discussed their mutual admiration of Lance in the past, and Jerry was confident Mike would be happy with the move.

It hasn't been a secret that McCarthy has been looking for a developmental QB since he's been here. They kept missing out for the guys they had interest in the draft and when one that he liked (with a 2nd round grade) became available Jerry gave McClay the green light.

 

[ColoradoCowboy]

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.

He is under 24 years old, has already banked $28.75 million, and is perfectly healthy. Unless he just REALLY loves playing football, I don't see the incentive for him to work real hard. Oh, and the Cowboys would owe him $5.3 million more for next year.

I just don't understand how people think that it is good idea to give a $22 million signing bonus to a 21 year old man. smh...

 

[Bobhaze]

It’s been interesting seeing all the variety of answers regarding the Cowboys “plan” for Trey Lance. That variety speaks to the “murkiness” of this acquisition. Clear as mud.

 

[Beast_from_East]

He is under 24 years old, has already banked $28.75 million, and is perfectly healthy. Unless he just REALLY loves playing football, I don't see the incentive for him to work real hard. Oh, and the Cowboys would owe him $5.3 million more for next year.

I just don't understand how people think that it is good idea to give a $22 million signing bonus to a 21 year old man. smh...

Draft picks are slotted, the pay is already predetermined.

Lance was the 3rd overall pick, that pick is slotted at $34 million over 4 years, 100% guaranteed.

That was all negotiated between the Players Union and the NFL, the 49ers did not have a choice in the matter as far as it being a good idea or a bad idea.

 

[cristglo]

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’m going to give it a wait see till after preseason but when the trade came down I was like WTH!
I hope he comes in and lights it up but it was a very stupid trade. Jerry thinking he made some Awesome trade when SF sat back and laughed. I just don’t think he has “it” He might be ok for a backup but that’s all I see that 4th round pick would be nice this year.

 

[CowboyoWales]

It’s been interesting seeing all the variety of answers regarding the Cowboys “plan” for Trey Lance. That variety speaks to the “murkiness” of this acquisition. Clear as mud.

Are there a 'variety of answers'?.....seems quite transparent that Rush, when pressed into service, is capable of doing a temporary job whereas nobody on this earth (other than committed Trolls) believe he can be a QB1.

Having Lance in the building at least gives the Jones a better hand than 'a pair', when sitting opposite France in Dak extension conversations. Could take the argument further and hypothesize that we keep Lance (in storage as QB3) as putting him on the field may well dispel the 'aura of mystique' that he 'could be Dak's replacement'. As for 2023, Rush with his 4-1 record (from 2022) is a better bet to step up 'In Game' if Dak got injured ....then Lance starts the following week (after a week of full preparation).

If Dak is extended (and it will be long term, if at all), then Lance will be traded, probably for a loss on what we spent for him.......but he would of served his purpose. If the contract isnt extended between now and season start we will probably have Lance as QB2 for 2024.

 

[DuncanIso]

“Lance is this year’s 4th round pick” is a good way of looking at it Rock.

That 2021 draft is money.

 

[DuncanIso]

Are there a 'variety of answers'?.....seems quite transparent that Rush, when pressed into service, is capable of doing a temporary job whereas nobody on this earth (other than committed Trolls) believe he can be a QB1.

Having Lance in the building at least gives the Jones a better hand than 'a pair', when sitting opposite France in Dak extension conversations. Could take the argument further and hypothesize that we keep Lance (in storage as QB3) as putting him on the field may well dispel the 'aura of mystique' that he 'could be Dak's replacement'. As for 2023, Rush with his 4-1 record (from 2022) is a better bet to step up 'In Game' if Dak got injured ....then Lance starts the following week (after a week of full preparation).

If Dak is extended (and it will be long term, if at all), then Lance will be traded, probably for a loss on what we spent for him.......but he would of served his purpose. If the contract isnt extended between now and season start we will probably have Lance as QB2 for 2024.

Tons of highlight film on Lance.

#phenom

We are lucky to make the trade for Lance.

Hope the injury bug left Lance in SFran.

 

[DuncanIso]

I’m going to give it a wait see till after preseason but when the trade came down I was like WTH!
I hope he comes in and lights it up but it was a very stupid trade. Jerry thinking he made some Awesome trade when SF sat back and laughed. I just don’t think he has “it” He might be ok for a backup but that’s all I see that 4th round pick would be nice this year.

Not a stupid trade.

The kid can play.