Bills Made Trade Offer for QB Trey Lance, Beat Out by Cowboys

The Buffalo Bills were reportedly ready to make a trade for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance before the Dallas Cowboys swooped in.

The Buffalo Bills apparently saw a potential suitor to serve as the potential new backup to quarterback Josh Allen, but the Dallas Cowboys swooped in instead.

Per reports Friday from Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury, East Bay Times, the Bills made a trade offer to the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Trey Lance before the Cowboys traded for him Friday in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft out of North Dakota State, was recently announced as the third quarterback on the depth chart in San Francisco. He was immediately thrust into trade rumors, and seemed to grab Buffalo's attention as a result.

But according to Niners general manager John Lynch himself, the Cowboys apparently just wanted Lance more. It's possible that Bills general manager Beane was not willing to offer anything higher than a fifth-round pick, and the 49ers took the best trade on the table.

"Dallas stepped up and really wanted him. They came after him," he said. "I think it's going to be a great landing spot for him. Trey's story is still very much unwritten."

Lance started last season as the 49ers' starter but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Regardless, the Niners advanced to the NFC Championship but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

In eight career games, Lance has gone 56 of 102 passing for 797 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Known for his dual-threat ability, he's added 54 carries for 235 yards and one touchdown.

This rushing ability could have fit well in a Buffalo offense that's already accustomed to Allen taking off with the ball. Additionally, the Bills' backups behind Allen are Kyle Allen and Matt Barkley, who have both had an up-and-down preseason. Lance would've certainly made for an interesting project instead.

The Bills close out their preseason slate on Saturday against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Buffalo will host Lance and the Cowboys in Week 15 on Sunday, Dec. 17 at Highmark Stadium.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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