Trey Lance represented the 49ers' biggest draft swing. On the day they traded him to the Cowboys, John Lynch accepted responsibility for them failing to make contact.

Lance, having lost the backup quarterback competition to Sam Darnold, was dealt to Dallas in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

It marked the end of Lance's hard-luck story with the Niners, one that saw the third overall pick in 2021 draft handed the keys to the offense in 2022, only to then suffer a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.

Though the 49ers are naturally thrilled with the remarkable emergence of Brock Purdy, Lance being traded in the preseason of his third year in the NFL career is not what anybody in the organization anticipated when they traded three first-round picks to move up to the third overall selection.

While injuries have had a major impact on Lance's unsuccessful journey to this point, Lynch accepted blame in an interview with the KPIX 5 broadcast team during the 49ers' preseason game with the Chargers.

"Really hard day. Such a wonderful young man. We took a shot and it didn't work out. We own that. We take accountability for it but I think, as I think you guys do, his story is very much still unwritten. I'm excited for Trey. Dallas stepped up and really wanted him and they came after him and I think it's going to be a great landing spot for him. I can tell everybody, it wasn't for lack of effort on Trey's part or on our part that it didn't work."

In the end, the 49ers will probably happy to have recouped something close to value for a quarterback with just four starts under his belt and a checkered injury history. However, the Lance story with the Niners will always be one of what might have been.

Brock Purdy shows off his dual-threat upside on day 49ers trade Trey Lance

QB1 used his legs to get it done in the preseason finale.

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