Tag: Trey Lance

Who will be the next Baker Mayfield?

A handful of quarterbacks from the first round of the 2021 NFL draft could be primed for a Baker Mayfield bounce-back in 2024

Baker Mayfield’s football journey has been well documented, from college walk-on to Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, to being released and bouncing between three teams in two years.

The most recent chapter in that story was a return to greatness, as Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his NFL career last year after signing a cheap one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There are multiple quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL draft class who could be primed for a similar bounce-back after experienced the same kind of rocky start to their respective NFL careers, and Rich Eisen recently discussed which of them could make that kind of comeback with a new team:

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Cowboys control league’s biggest QB mystery in Trey Lance

Only the Cowboys know what Trey Lance looked like last season so there’s no choice but to trust them to do the right thing (develop or trade) this offseason. | From @ReidDHanson

Cowboys QB talk has made its way back into the news. Instead of being about Dak Prescott and his upcoming contract negotiation, this time it’s about developmental prospect, Trey Lance.

Lance, acquired in a 2023 midseason trade with San Francisco, has reportedly sparked the interest of at least one QB-needy team this offseason. Under contract for the 2024 season, the Cowboys have the option of either exploring trade offers or staying the course by continuing to develop the 23-year-old signal caller.

As an undeveloped prospect, Lance has it all. He’s a highly-athletic dual threat who can create plays with his legs or with his arm. His plus traits keep his ceiling high even if his limited experience keeps his floor fairly low. Herein lies the trust.

Only two teams have truly seen what Lance has to offer as a QB prospect: the Cowboys and the 49ers. One of those teams traded him away for a fourth-round pick after just two seasons and the other team kept him buried as QB3 refusing to show their hand to anyone outside the organization.

With just 102 professional passing attempts, Lance is the NFL equivalent of Skinner’s box.

No one truly knows if he’s a good or bad prospect because there hasn’t been enough evidence available to back up either conclusion. For the Cowboys this means his value on the trade market is less than it would be if he had a few impressive games on his resume, but more than it would be if he had a few recent poor outings on his resume.

If the Cowboys thought they could have boosted Lance’s value by slipping him into some blowout situations last season, they probably would have. Keeping him sidelined kept the mystery alive. That could be in an effort to quietly groom him into the player they hoped he could be, or it could be to hide his shortfalls from would-be buyers this offseason. Only the Cowboys really know.

With just 420 passing attempts since high school, Lance remains one of the most unproven fourth-year prospects in the NFL. The former No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft is packed with potential but at this point potential is all he offers.

The Cowboys got a free peak at Lance last season. They know his value more than anyone — save for San Francisco — so if they decide to keep him it’s for good reason. Just like if they decide to trade him, it’s also probably for good reason. There’s really no choice but to trust the Cowboys on this one.

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‘Arrow’s really up’ on Cowboys QB Trey Lance, per Jerry Jones, but interest from other teams rumored

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys are ready for a camp battle at QB2 behind Dak Prescott, if they don’t get a more attractive trade offer from another team first.

The intrigue in the Cowboys’ QB room goes well beyond starter Dak Prescott and a possible extension that may or may not make him the league’s first-ever $60 million-per-year player.

There’s also the question of what the team will do behind Prescott, with longtime backup Cooper Rush and 2023 acquisition Trey Lance expected to battle for the No. 2 spot this summer.

Unless, of course, something were to change dramatically before then.

And, oh, the potential for that is most definitely there.

Lance’s name has been trending in recent days thanks to a post-combine report from Rich Eisen, who said earlier this week that the third overall draft pick in 2021 is “a possible solve at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings,” based on chatter he heard in Indianapolis.

The 23-year-old Lance is a Minnesota native with just eight games’ worth of NFL experience, but he could be an intriguing project for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, himself a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator who has helped develop Kirk Cousins in both Washington and Minnesota and Jared Goff with the Rams. He also helped guide Los Angeles to a Super Bowl win with Matthew Stafford under center.

With Cousins now expected to be the top passer available in free agency and already thought by some to be primed to sign with Atlanta, O’Connell and the Vikings could be faced with: bringing aboard a new veteran quarterback in free agency, adding a highly-rated college prospect via the draft, or trading for someone currently on another team’s roster.

The Cowboys have already picked up Lance’s $4.25 million bonus, due five days after training camp starts in July. But they’ve also made it known they won’t pick up his far pricier fifth-year bonus for 2025.

That’s like putting out a sign for the rest of the league that the Cowboys are willing to at listen to trade offers, though owner Jerry Jones has raved about Lance and his “unique skills” since giving up a fourth-round draft pick to obtain him in late August.

“The arrow’s really up,” Jones told reporters in Indianapolis over the weekend. “He’s exceeded expectations as a person, as a worker.”

The former North Dakota State product has thrown just 102 NFL passes. He spent the 2023 season in Dallas learning Mike McCarthy’s offense and serving as the team’s emergency third quarterback.

“He’s very much what we had planned on, hoped,” Jones confirmed. “When we gave the pick, we knew we would be paying the bonus right now. That was a part of the same decision. That’s been reinforced by what he’s been with the team and the person he is, potentially the player.”

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And while Jones answered a question about whether he expects Lance to compete with seven-year veteran Rush to be Prescott’s primary understudy with an unqualified “yes,” he would almost certainly at least consider flipping the two-time FCS champion and high-potential project player for an early enough selection in this year’s draft.

Of course, Jones could, at least theoretically, choose to stand pat on all three of his passers. Without an extension for the MVP runner-up, every Cowboys quarterback- Prescott, Rush, and Lance- could be in a contract year in 2024.

Drama in Big D, indeed.

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Could Trey Lance be the Vikings’ quarterback of the future?

Rich Eisen mentioned on his podcast that Trey Lance to the Vikings was a rumor floating around at the combine

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of options at quarterback. One of them is the incumbent, Kirk Cousins, and there are several big names who might be available in free agency or via trade. Another option is next month’s draft, which is loaded with QB prospects.

While at the combine, Rich Eisen heard a different rumor that was floating around in Indianapolis as a potential option and mentioned it on his podcast: Dallas Cowboys QB Trey Lance.

“Trey Lance is a possible solve for the Vikings. Now the Cowboys picked up Lance and kept him on the roster long enough to get a bonus, so they are paying him money to keep him. They got him for a 5 (fifth-round pick), so I’m just wondering if the Vikings flip them a 3 (third-round pick), a Friday night pick, do they go ahead and do that? Trey Lance as we all know, you also have to pick up a fifth-year option. I’m just saying that the possibility is out there. The kid (Lance) is from the state as we all know, and that might be an answer.”

This isn’t the first time that Lance has been mentioned as an option for the Vikings. His name was all the rage last year until the Cowboys traded for him before the start of the 2023 season.

Is it a smart option? That’s severely debatable at this point because Lance is entering his fourth season and the rookie contract bonus is essentially up. Bringing him in as a potential bridge quarterback could still make sense.

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Follow the Money: Breakdown of Cowboys QBs salaries, cap hits

A breakdown of the cap spending at the quarterback position and how Dallas needs to address the group this offseason. | From @ArmyChiefW3

It should be no surprise that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would never give up the final say. Be honest with yourself, would you give up control if you owned the Cowboys? From social media to deep-rooted content creators, there seems to be an endless supply of comments regarding what Dallas should do with their roster, but things will always lie in the hands of the Joneses.

And how have they allocated their large treasure chest when it comes to building a winner? This series takes a look at how Dallas has allocated their salary cap and what’s on tap for the 2024 season, prior to the start of the new league year.

First up, is the quarterback position. Hat tip to Over The Cap for the base numbers of each player’s contract.

The ‘What If…?’ Mock Draft: Cowboys, Bears swap Dak Prescott for Justin Fields

A thought exercise if Dallas and Dak Prescott can’t agree to an extension, how much he’d be worth in a trade, and then working with Chicago to upgrade both teams’ situations. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Marvel Comics Universe, better known as the MCU, has centered fictional characters for over a decade. Although it’s losing steam commercially over the last several years, One property has been able to recapture the magic, the two-season animated run of What If…?

What If,,,? is another comic convert, that takes well-known characters, but from alternate universes, and puts them in scenarios originally encountered by other heroes. We’re going to borrow this concept for a minute and walk an alternate universe path of what if the Dallas Cowboys were willing to hit the reset button on the franchise and trade Dak Prescott.

Prescott has a ridiculously high cap hit in 2024, along with both no-tag and no-trade clauses. The almost assured scenario is that not only will he return to Dallas for 2024, but he’ll do it as the league’s highest-paid QB.

But what if he didn’t?

What if the two sides are unable to work out an extension over the next 3-plus months and owner Jerry Jones hit the reset button? We already outlined all of the teams we believe would jump at the chance to acquire Prescott, and that list includes the Chicago Bears.

Mock drafts, especially ones in January, are as What If… as anything can get in sports. So before things get serious, we’ll use this iteration to play out a scenario where Dallas doesn’t hitch their wagon to Prescott and instead looks to find the next starting quarterback.

 

Potential 2024 QB options for the Broncos with Jarrett Stidham included

If the Broncos move on from Russell Wilson, what happens at QB in 2024? Here are five options that include keeping Jarrett Stidham.

Assuming the Denver Broncos are going to move on from Russell Wilson this offseason, the team will need a new starting quarterback in 2024.

Right now, Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are both under contract. It’s possible that Denver could also cut Stidham this spring, but today we’re going to explore several options that include keeping Stidham.

The first option would be to roll with Stidham in 2024, something Peter King thinks is a real possibility. A second option would be to sign a veteran free agent to compete with Stidham this summer.

A third option would be to draft a quarterback (perhaps 12th overall) to compete with Stidham. A fourth option would be to trade for a veteran (which doesn’t seem likely) and a fifth option would be to sign a veteran and draft a rookie.

So, what’s the best option for the Broncos in 2024? Let’s take a look at the five scenarios.

11 QBs Vikings can acquire after Kirk Cousins’ torn Achilles

With the trade deadline looming, the Vikings could make a trade to acquire a quarterback

The Minnesota Vikings saw their season take a major blow this past Sunday as quarterback Kirk Cousins reportedly tore his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers.

The Vikings are riding high on a three-game winning streak, but not having their starting quarterback with how the team is structured is heartbreaking and could crater the season.

There are multiple options that the Vikings could take and they start in-house. Jaren Hall replaced Cousins on the field Sunday afternoon and is the likely option moving forward. There is also Nick Mullens who can return from injured reserve next week against the Atlanta Falcons.

If they don’t like either of those two options, they can try and trade for someone at the trade deadline, which is Halloween. There aren’t going to be many teams who will want to trade a quarterback at the end of October, but its not unprecedented.

It’s slim pickings for a position that is very shallow but there are options available. Here are 11 quarterbacks that the Vikings could acquire after the unfortunate injury to Cousins.

Watch: 49ers fans chant “we want Trey” during blowout of Cowboys

A “we want Trey” chant broke out during the #49ers blowout win over the Cowboys.

A 42-10 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football wasn’t enough for some 49ers fans in attendance at Levi’s Stadium. Some decided to add insult to injury by chanting for former 49ers quarterback and current Cowboys QB3, Trey Lance in the late stages of the blowout victory for the home team.

Lance was traded to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick during the preseason. He’s yet to be active for a game this season.

 

Trey Lance has same role with Cowboys that he’d have had with 49ers

Trey Lance wanted to leave the #49ers because he didn’t want to be a QB3. Through 3 weeks that’s what he’s been in Dallas.

Part of the reason Trey Lance wanted out of San Francisco was to go somewhere where he could be a backup quarterback. He lost the QB2 battle to Sam Darnold, which prompted the team to explore dealing their No. 3 overall pick from the 2021 draft. So far Dallas was not the place for him to get that opportunity.

Lance didn’t want to be a third QB behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold, and the team publicly wanted to honor that desire. Head coach Kyle Shanahan made that clear the night Lance was traded.

“And when we told Trey that he wasn’t the two, I said we’d like to keep him here as the three, but we also want to do what’s good for him too, and we’ll see how this plays out,” Shanahan said in a press conference. “When we looked into other teams and he told us that he would like another opportunity to go somewhere where we had a chance to be the two, we thought we got some good deals for him. There’s a number of teams involved, to end up getting the fourth was a little better than we anticipated and clears up a lot of money and allows a better situation for him too.”

It turns out they were probably not going to take Lance’s development and future into account once a fourth-round pick landed on the table as compensation. Had only sixth or seventh-round picks been on the table in trade talks they might have been more particular about what the opportunities were.

It’s also worth noting that 49ers general manager John Lynch said Lance’s agent played a role in the trade talks.

“We kind of worked on it together and I told Patrick Collins, his rep, I told Patrick feel free to go out and find teams if you want,” Lynch said. “So, we kind of kept in communication during the process. And I want to let you guys know, Trey was tremendous during this whole thing. He handled it as well as you could and just asked if there a good landing spot I’d be appreciative of that, but if I’m here, I’m here.”

In three weeks as a Dallas Cowboy, Lance has been a healthy inactive as the emergency QB all three weeks with Cooper Rush backing up Dak Prescott. Given when he was traded there was never a particularly high likelihood that Lance was going to win the QB2 job in Dallas.

Perhaps there are practice reps available in Dallas that Lance wasn’t going to get with the 49ers.

Maybe he really likes Texas or wants to play and develop under Mike McCarthy.

He could conceivably be vying for the backup QB gig every week and just needs more time to learn the offense before they had him the keys to that job.

There’s always a possibility too that Dallas really likes Lance and thinks he could provide an immediate solution if Prescott sows some level of doubt this season that he’s a franchise quarterback.

Either way it turns out Lance is still a QB3, just in a different uniform. Whether the 49ers knew that would be the case or not ultimately doesn’t matter. They got more draft compensation for him than they likely thought they’d get, and once it reaches that point it’s hard to blame them for caring less about what the next opportunity looked like for Lance.

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