Not a lot of stock is put into preseason performance when it comes to players who are expected to be big cogs in the pursuit of a championship. Despite the malaise that’s surrounded the Cowboys organization over the last seven months, the Super Bowl is still the goal in Dallas. So when it comes to exhibition games, the results and in most cases the individual performances don’t go a long way to determining much of anything.
That isn’t the case this year, where the pecking order at quarterback for now and in the future is being determined. The Cowboys have a unique situation where the entrenched and well-paid starter, his annual non-threatening backup and a young, highly pedigreed flyer are all in the final year of their contracts. While Dak Prescott’s place is secured, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance have an entirely different dynamic happening in their quest for the 53-man roster.
Which player should be Prescott’s backup is an interesting question that is playing out across the preseason games. With Prescott scheduled to make around $60 million annually on his next contract, the Cowboys would certainly love to be able to see if Lance could be a cheaper alternative this offseason.
With so little experience at the collegiate level and even less in the pros, the only way to evaluate that worthiness is to get as much in-game evidence as possible. That means, however, that the table is skewed in Lance’s favor when it comes to preseason snaps to evaluate.
Through two games, Lance has outsnapped Rush 116 to 15. At this point, through seven seasons, the book is in on who Rush is. His pecking order in the depth chart, and on the 53-man roster is really going to be determined by how the staff feels Lance has performed.
After a rocky start in Week 1, Lance turned in a much better Week 2 and showed there could be something there as he orchestrated two touchdown drives. So how should the Cowboys handle the depth chart when they begin roster cutdowns over the next 10 days?
The Cowboys should pull off a combination of what they’ve done the last several seasons with their initial 53-man roster.
Rush shouldn’t be on it. Instead, they need to do a gentleman’s agreement like they did in 2022 and release him. Rush isn’t subject to waivers, so he can re-sign with the Cowboys’ practice squad without any risk of another team claiming him.
Make Trey Lance the backup on the 53, but he doesn’t necessarily need to be active on game day. He can be the emergency third quarterback and Dallas can use the three game-day elevations to make Rush the backup, allowing more developmental time for Lance.
Even an extra three weeks of leeway could be crucial in his development. This buys the Cowboys an extra three weeks of a roster spot, which based on what everyone knows about the NFL, will see someone have to be moved to IR and open up space.