By naming Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback, the 49ers opened the floodgates for Trey Lance trade talk. And woo boy has the trade talk begun!
There are a whole lot of NFL teams that could actually use a prospect like Lance. Teams without a franchise quarterback could jump at the chance to acquire a former No. 3 overall pick on the cheap.
The Cowboys are not one of those teams but that didn't stop Nate Davis of USA Today from including Dallas in his trade fits for Lance.
Cowboys linked to insane Trey Lance trade
Here's how Davis put it for USA Today:
"No question this is Dak Prescott's team … at least for the next two seasons he's under contract. No quarterback on the roster of America's Team is going to be invisible, but Lance could sharpen his skills – probably for a while – in what passes for anonymity in Dallas. And don't forget, Mike McCarthy had Brett Favre as his QB1 for two years in Green Bay before transitioning to future four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers."
That's...a take.
The Athletic talked to executives who believed Lance could move for anywhere from a third-round pick to a late-round selection. So maybe there's a universe where the Cowboys could pick up Lance for the low price of a sixth-round draft pick.
But to what end?
Would the Cowboys waste a pick like that on a quarterback they'd likely be developing as their backup for someone else to pick up when he hits free agency in 2025? Dak Prescott just turned 30 and is reportedly starting to work on a contract extension with Dallas.
There is no point to adding Lance if there's no succession plan for him to eventually take over.
Dallas is trying to win a Super Bowl with Prescott as their quarterback. They also have a perfectly capable backup in Cooper Rush. Every draft pick should be in service to that goal. Shipping one out to San Francisco, whether it's a third or a seventh, to add a backup quarterback the team doesn't need would be insanity.
