At the time that the Trey Lance deal was made, the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have much explaining to do. Dak Prescott was not signed long-term, and given Lance’s recent status of being a top-three draft pick, there was a non-zero chance that he’d earn an opportunity to be their quarterback of the future. Giving up a fourth-round pick for someone with Lance’s talent with the quarterback position unsettled long-term made some sense.
Once Prescott inked his record-breaking extension to remain in Dallas long-term, though, the trade looked like a clear miss. With Prescott locked in, when would Lance ever get an opportunity to play?
Despite the clear miss, Jerry Jones went out of his way to ensure that Lance would make their Week 1 roster even with Cooper Rush ahead of him on the depth chart for the sole purpose of trying to justify his own wrongdoing.
Almost 12 weeks into the 2024 season, Lance is still in Dallas, and despite Prescott’s season-ending injury, he has been on the field for a total of 15 offensive snaps all year. Despite the season being virtually over for the 3-7 Cowboys, Rush is the team’s QB1 over Lance. The team has little to play for and is going with the 31-year-old with no future on the team over the 24-year-old that they traded a fourth-round pick to acquire.
Even with all of the clear red flags and the obvious fact that this trade is nothing more than a lost cause at this point for the Cowboys, the organization is still trying to defend the trade. Just look at what Stephen Jones had to say about it.
“[Lance] is a top-tier pick, a guy we had at the top,” Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Friday. “As you know, Dak was coming up for a contract, and we wanted to take a look at a good, young talent and didn’t feel like we could get anything from a quality standpoint like we could get with Trey. As it turns out, we ended up signing Dak long-term. So, obviously that puts a little less need in terms of having to rush to do something with Trey. Matter of fact, it makes it hard because Trey, I’m sure, is wanting to see what’s out there now that we have committed to Dak long-term. But I don’t regret that at all,” Jones said.
Cowboys continue to defend Trey Lance trade despite obvious loss
Wanting to get a look at Lance given Prescott’s contract situation made sense. Once Prescott inked that extension, though, the trade was a waste. The quarterback spot was Prescott’s.
Had the Cowboys given up a seventh-round pick to acquire Lance, then sure, they wouldn’t have much of a reason to regret the deal. However, they gave up a fourth-round pick. Several intriguing players, especially at the running back position (a clear spot of weakness on this Dallas roster) were available around that pick, but the Cowboys traded it for a player who isn’t going to see the field much with Dallas.
Funny enough, the Cowboys had an opportunity to justify the trade to an extent by simply playing Lance with their season looking over. Instead, they’re playing Rush, a quarterback who is better than Lance right now but has no shot of being a starter long-term.
Justifying trading a fourth-round pick just to “get a look” at a quarterback who in all likelihood will not start a single regular season game in Dallas is a bad look, but given this Cowboys franchise, it’s hard to say it’s surprising.
