The Dallas Cowboys surprised many across the NFL when they traded a fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for quarterback Trey Lance on Friday.
Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft from North Dakota State, had dropped to the third-string quarterback spot on San Francisco’s depth chart as the 49ers made their intentions to trade him known league-wide. Many speculated where he might land, but no one thought it would be Dallas.
“He gives us an opportunity to do what we would always like to be doing,” team owner Jerry Jones told the media. “It would be ideal with Dak to have a young, prospective, developing quarterback that could just be in the room [and] on the team with him. This gives [Lance] the opportunity to not only take what he got [in San Francisco] but take [part in] one of the best quarterback rooms there is because Dak Prescott is in it.”
“Dak Prescott’s finest quality, for me, is how he takes what he does in the classroom to the practice field,” Jones continued. “This really was in our mind very much that he was going to be coming into this situation with Dak. We didn’t waste any time. The minute we knew that they were serious about trading him, we didn’t want the phone to hang up.”
Lance led North Dakota State to a national championship in his only full season as the starter for the Bison dynasty in the FCS, and San Francisco traded several future draft picks to move up in the draft order and select him as its next franchise quarterback. He began last season as the 49ers’ starter but was ruled out for the season after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.
“We felt good about him from the evaluation we had for him in the draft,” Jones explained. “We felt good about what we’ve seen on tape and what he’s done since he’s been in the NFL, and it was one that we made the decision almost when we heard the name.”
“…Frankly, he’s been in a positive situation in San Francisco,” Jones added. “We think that’s been good experience for him, and then it’s certainly based upon the fact that with Dak Prescott, we’ve got one of the finest rooms, for lack of a better word [and] we’ve got one of the finest place[s] for a young, aspiring quarterback to basically learn from and evolve from.”
Lance has been considered a “high-ceiling prospect” since his college days when he threw for 2,947 yards, 30 touchdowns, and one interception and ran for an additional 1,385 yards and 18 scores.
While he has already been in the NFL for three years with little progress to show, he is still only 23 years old and brings a similar skillset as Prescott. Learning from a player with a similar playing style and the body of work that Prescott has could undoubtedly be critically helpful for Lance as he joins the team.
While Prescott was among those caught off guard by the move, he seems to realize it helps the team and remains concentrated on the ultimate goal.
“I obviously understand it’s a business,” Prescott told DFW’s 105.3 The Fan. “That’s a first-round talent, and you’re always trying to make your team better. We’re going to welcome him as we do any teammate, and hopefully, he just makes us better, and we continue to get back at it. We’ve got one goal as a team.”
After a career-worst season a year ago, Prescott will have a short leash with fans this season, even with the support of the organization’s leadership, and that could add pressure as any mistake will amplify calls for Lance to get on the field. However, Jones has made it clear Dallas made the move with eyes toward the future and the idea of Prescott continuing to run the show.
“The idea of having what we had seen when he came through the draft and being able to work with it with our quarterback room was just an opportunity that we have thought about a number of times [and] tried to get to,” Jones said. “If he had hung around long enough, we might’ve done this on the Philadelphia quarterback [Jalen Hurts] about two years ago.”
“We view it as an opportunity [and] we view it as an additional part of this team that could pay dividends this year but certainly will pay dividends in the future.”
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Extra Points
— NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
— The Houston Texans have named rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud their starting quarterback, beating out Davis Mills.
— The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded offensive lineman Kevin Dotson to the Los Angeles Rams.
— According to ESPN, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett wants a trade.
— The New England Patriots have traded running back Pierre Strong to the Cleveland Browns for offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
