Dallas Cowboys' Trey Lance Trade Plan? 5 Reasons to Move Dak Prescott Backup to Minnesota Vikings

Dallas Cowboys' Trey Lance Trade Plan? 5 Reasons to Move Dak Prescott Backup to Minnesota Vikings

So much has transpired in this Dallas Cowboys season that it's difficult to recall the turbulent opening chapters. 

Summer's end brought debate around the quarterback spot, one where some felt (wrongly, as CowboysSI.com reported at the time) that a message was sent when the team traded with San Francisco in a deal that sent Trey Lance to North Texas. Though injury-prone and unproven, Lance's lingering potential was tantalizing in the wake of Dak Prescott's sometime-struggles during the 2022 season.

By now, even the most casual viewer of Cowboys football is well-versed in the Prescott redemption, one that might make Lance's presence a bit redundant. 

Lance, the third pick of the 2021 draft, could realistically develop into a No. 2, but as Prescott destined for another big contract, the team could opt to stick with Cooper Rush as his understudy for both financial and philosophical reasons.

This year, the reliable Rush (who has another year left on his deal) remains the Cowboys' primary passing backup plan, while Lance has been stationed as the emergency third arm.

Lance has been the Cowboys' emergency third quarterback throughout this season / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Lance thus appears on a list of potential offseason trade candidates compiled by Connor Livesay of The 33rd Team, a group that also features established stars like Davante Adams, Joey Bosa, and Stefon Diggs. 

"If the Cowboys stick with Rush at QB2, they could start calling quarterback-needy teams that missed out on Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels in the 2024 NFL Draft," Livesay notes. "The Cowboys could get a better return for Lance than what they paid from teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, or Seattle Seahawks. If those teams miss out on the top passers in the draft, they could see Lance as a viable option."

Our thoughts? We've got five of them ...

1) Dallas gave a fourth-round pick for Lance. Would another team pay more? If so, that's the way to play Poker here. The Cowboys would listen.

2) Next year, the Cowboys will owe Lance $5.3 million, and all of that money for the 2024 season is fully guaranteed. Is that a cap problem? No. But after 2024, he's a free agent - unless the Cowboys want to pick up his expensive $25 million fifth-year option by May 1, which they do not. ... All the more reason to get something for him while they can, especially as Rush costs just $2.2 million in '24, the final year of his deal.

3) Is there a financial middle ground here? Sure. The Cowboys could approach Lance and offer him something way less than his fifth-year option ... and indeed, a source tells CowboysSI.com that Dallas prefers that idea.

Sources: Cowboys Plan to Re-Sign Trey Lance; What of 5th-Year Option?

4) A problem: How will Dallas ever know if Lance is better than Rush, and worth that commitment? It'll be a crapshoot.

5) And to Minny - Lance's home state, so there would surely be an attraction there ...

As the current roster stands, Minnesota seems destined to lose franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason and the backup options have left much to be desired: Josh Dobbs' hot start in place of Cousins after another trade with Arizona lays long forgotten and the team plans to turn its offensive control over to Nick Mullens as they seek to wrap up one of the NFC wild card spots. 

Trey Lance Trade & Contract: How Much Are Cowboys Paying?

The Vikings (7-6) currently hold the sixth seed, one game ahead of the five-team logjam for seventh. As it stands, they're slated to hold the 22nd pick in next spring's NFL Draft, one that would probably keep them out of consideration for the top passing talents. 

Dallas (10-3) can do Minnesota a favor as is on Dec. 30 when they play the current NFC North leaders from Detroit. In the meantime, an inter-conference showdown with Diggs and the Buffalo Bills awaits on Sunday afternoon (3:25 p.m. CT, Fox). And maybe later? The Cowboys and Vikings can each do the other a Trey Lance favor.