Why Trey Lance could be a bargaining chip for Cowboys during draft

Before taking a snap with the Cowboys, Lance could offer a return on the team’s investment

Heading into the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys are one of the enigmas. Sure, no one expects the Cowboys to capture headlines by making a big trade to move up in the draft or acquire a marquee player from another franchise, but the Cowboys could make a trade during the draft to auction off one of their players, Trey Lance.

Some have suggested the Cowboys would be better suited to move on from Dak Prescott, who at this point in the offseason doesn’t have a new contract and carries a near $60M cap charge heading into the season. The truth is the Cowboys still think very highly of Prescott, who was once an MVP candidate last season. Though he hasn’t been able to deliver the team a championship, he’s done enough for the franchise to be given at least one more go.

Conversely, the same cannot be said for reserve quarterback Trey Lance. Lance was acquired right before the season in 2023 from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. Lance’s career got off to a rocky start with San Francisco after being taken third overall in the 2021 draft. He suffered a season-ending injury in his second NFL season before eventually losing his starting job to Brock Purdy. Lance has yet to appear in a game for the Cowboys, but still has enough potential and upside to draw interest from other teams and warrant the Cowboys getting something back in return for him, and here’s why.

Despite entering his fourth NFL season, Lance will turn just 24 years old next month. In comparison, a few of this year’s top prospects are around the same age as him. Michael Penix Jr. will also turn 24 next month, and LSU’s Jayden Daniels is 23 years old. Bo Nix will be 25 by this time next season. All three quarterbacks are expected to be taken in the top two rounds of the draft despite their ages. Lance is still very much an unknown commodity. Dating back to his time in college, Lance has started 21 games. He has a lot to learn, but that allows opportunity for growth.

Imagine if Trey Lance was a prospect in this draft class. He is a quarterback who was a national champion at the FCS level. He has dual-threat potential and ran for 1,100 yards in a season as a collegiate, like Jayden Daniels. Scouts believe he has a high-level football intelligence with an aversion to turnovers. Here’s NFL.com’s Chad Reuter’s assessment of Lance. Consider some of the traits used to describe Lance.

Strengths

• Film junkie with high football IQ and an NFL frame.

• Makes calls to set his own protections.

• Bouncy feet for accelerated pocket setups.

• Play-fake aficionado from under center, causing defenders to consistently bite.

• Passing scheme encourages full-field reads.

• Processes progressions very quickly and can work to his fourth read when protected.

• Able to mentally recalibrate his attack when play comes off schedule.

• Taking care of the football is a priority for him.

• Rarely takes bait against zone defenders and safeties looking to pounce.

Some of the assessments sound very similar to what’s been said about several of the top prospects in this year’s crop of signal-callers.

There are several viable quarterback options available in the early stages of the draft, and several teams in need of a quarterback sit atop the NFL draft order. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and the New England Patriots hold the top three picks of the draft and have parted with their starting quarterback from last year. Three quarterbacks are likely selected to begin the draft. That leaves quarterback-needy teams like the New York Giants (sixth pick), Minnesota Vikings (11th pick), Denver Broncos (12th pick), and the Las Vegas Raiders (13th pick) in a bind. Do they reach for a prospect, compromise their draft board, and forego selecting the best player available, or send one a pick to the Cowboys to acquire Lance?

Unlike a looming trade deadline during the NFL season, the Cowboys are under no immediate pressure to pull off a deal on Lance. They can sit back and watch the board fall as teams starving for a quarterback squirm in the agony of waiting for a prospect they know they can’t get, opening a market for the Cowboys to make a move and recoup the draft stock Dallas surrendered when they traded for Lance in the first place.

The Cowboys don’t have to give Lance another shot this summer. They have a backup quarterback in Cooper Rush who has demonstrated he can operate the offense. Again, remember the Cowboys have expressed their faith in Prescott, although financially, that has yet to be seen. If someone chooses to trade for Lance they would get the benefit of starting Lance in the final year of his contract with no long-term financial commitment and the ability to potentially wipe the slate clean without mortgaging their draft capital for subsequent years. Regardless of what happens right before the Cowboys turn in their draft card on Thursday, they are now on the clock.