Report: Trey Lance can be a quarterback option for the Vikings
If Kirk Cousins signs elsewhere in free agency, the Minnesota Vikings will need at least a bridge option at quarterback. And that name can be Trey Lance, the former third overall pick. During his show, Rich Eisen said that rumors during the NFL Combine indicated that Lance could be an alternative, maybe for a third-round […]
If Kirk Cousins signs elsewhere in free agency, the Minnesota Vikings will need at least a bridge option at quarterback. And that name can be Trey Lance, the former third overall pick.
During his show, Rich Eisen said that rumors during the NFL Combine indicated that Lance could be an alternative, maybe for a third-round pick – since the Dallas Cowboys paid a fourth-round pick to acquire him from the San Francisco 49ers.
"Trey Lance is a possible solve for the Vikings. Now the Cowboys picked up Lance and kept him on the roster long enough to get a bonus, so they are paying him money to keep him. They got him for a 5(th round pick) so I’m just wondering if the Vikings flip them a 3, a Friday night pick, do they go ahead and do that? Trey Lance as we all know, you also have to pick up a fifth year option. I’m just saying that the possibility is out there. The kid (Lance) is from the state as we all know and that might be an answer.”
The most intriguing part of the report is the price tag. While the Cowboys would obviously want to profit, it would depend on the market. If no one else is interested, there's little reason for the Vikings to pay that much, especially because Lance is not exactly cheap for a player on his rookie deal, and because he is under contract for just one season now. Lance is slated to make $5.310 million in 2024, and his fifth-year option of $22.408 million for 2025 will most likely get declined.
Moreover, the Vikings don't have a third-round pick at the moment. They dealt their pick away to the Detroit Lions in the TJ Hockenson trade.
Strange career path
Trey Lance was the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, who were trying to have a quarterback with a higher ceiling than Jimmy Garoppolo.
the 49ers' idea was to sit Lance for a year, starting Garoppolo in 2021 while the rookie learned Kyle Shanahan's system. He still started two games when Garoppolo got hurt.
In 2022, Lance was projected to be a starter, but injured his ankle in the second game. Then, after Garopolo also got hurt, the 49ers found Brock Purdy.
Last year, Trey Lance lost the backup job to Sam Darnold and ended up traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
In Dallas, he spent the whole year as a third-string quarterback, behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
Throughout his NFL career, Lance completed 54.9% of his passes, with five touchdowns and three interceptions, with an 84.5 passer rating.
Why would the Vikings do that?
Considering Kirk Cousins is a free agent, the Vikings only have two quarterbacks under contract at the moment: fellow former 49ers' veteran Nick Mullens and last year's fifth-round pick Jaren Hall. Both played during the second half of last season, and the results were not good.
So Minnesota needs a viable option. Maybe it's in the draft, with the 11th overall pick, but Trey Lance would be an upside bet for a player who has played so little in the league after being universally seen as a top prospect.
Why would the Cowboys do that?
The initial trade was strange, because it felt like Dallas didn't have a plan in place to utilize Lance. He spent the entire season as a third-stringer, and there's not a path for him to play behind Dak Prescott – who is expected to sign a lucrative extension this offseason.
Especially because of Prescott's potential new deal, the Cowboys will need more cap space, and getting those $5.310 million available again would make sense – particularly if the team can recoup the draft capital invested.
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That would be a strange sight
