The Dallas Cowboys have a cloud of uncertainty hanging over them these days.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and pass rusher Micah Parsons are all due for contract extensions, and all three are among the very best at their respective positions, which means they will command big bucks.
Of the three, Prescott is in the most concerning situation.
While he was a leading MVP candidate for much of last season, he has a documented history of performing poorly in the playoffs. Some have surmised that perhaps this coming season will be his last in Big D.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have another QB on their roster who is thought to have plenty of potential in Trey Lance. They acquired him last August from the San Francisco 49ers for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, and while he has played little in his three NFL seasons, he has flashed some intriguing skills and potential.
Mike Fisher of Athlon Sports suggested that the Dallas Cowboys may showcase Lance this preseason — even though he’s currently listed as third on their depth chart behind Prescott and Cooper Rush — and that it could be simply in order to pump up his value for a subsequent trade.
“There is virtually no scenario in which Lance becomes Dallas’ starter in 2024,” wrote Fisher. “And like Prescott and Rush, he’s not under contract for 2025. But the club would like to see what he can be as ‘more than a prospect,’ which is all he’s ever been in the NFL, even before Dallas traded a 2024 fourth-round pick to the 49ers for Lance a year ago.
“Can he be showcased in preseason games to fuel a trade? To see if he can beat out Rush as the No. 2? To see if he merits a contract offer that might keep him here next year, whether Dak – heading into the final season of the four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2021 and hoping for a gigantic extension – is still here or not?
“Yes. Those are all ‘yesses.’
Lance appears to have dual-threat ability, and in his final preseason game last year with San Francisco, he led a fourth-quarter drive that resulted in a come-from-behind 21-20 win over the Denver Broncos.
Due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic, he hasn’t played that much organized football dating back to his days at North Dakota State University.
At the end of the day, Lance has to get out onto the field for actual game situations on a consistent basis if he will ever grow into what he can become. But it looks like it won’t happen with the Cowboys this season unless both Prescott and Rush get injured.
Potential has a shelf life, and if there is no real pathway for Lance to play for the Cowboys this season, perhaps they’d be better off trading him. There may be a team out there that badly needs a quarterback and may be willing to start him and take a chance on him right now.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see if the Dallas Cowboys pursue a big trade before the regular season. It seems that there is a chance for that to become a reality.
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