DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys shocked the NFL world over the weekend, sending a fourth round pick to San Francisco in exchange for quarterback Trey Lance, who will compete with Cooper Rush and Will Grier to backup Dak Prescott in Mike McCarthy's offense.
Lance will now get an opportunity to develop behind the scenes in a less pressure filled environment, while coach McCarthy will hope to turn the 23-year-old into the kind of dual-threat quarterback San Francisco had in mind when they traded up for him in 2021.
Locked on Cowboys hosts Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool broke down the trade for Dallas, celebrating the low cost acquisition of a player with Lance's upside.
"In a vacuum, I love it," Mosher said. "It's not very often you get these type of quarterbacks with a day three pick and with the salary he has. It's just a dart throw at the most important position and [giving up] a pick....the draft pick doesn't bother me at all."
Subscribe to the daily Locked on Cowboys podcast, free and available wherever you get your podcasts.
San Francisco took a big loss by giving up Lance for a Day 3 pick, after they traded three first round picks and a third round pick to move up nine slots and nab him third overall in the 2021 NFL draft.
Injuries contributed to Lance only starting four games in a 49ers uniform, and he completed 54.9% of his passes with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
That, coupled with the team's competition window and the emergence of 2022 seventh round pick Brock Purdy, led to the team shopping the former North Dakota State star this offseason, and Dallas felt like putting him in a different situation could help unlock the potential many have seen from him during his brief, injury-filled career.