Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys finished the preseason with a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in a game featuring a lot of big plays. The big story from this game is the five interceptions that third-string quarterback Trey Lance threw and it has put Cowboys Nation in a frenzy as new narratives are formed. What should we make of all of this? Well, to get a better sense of the Lance situation, let’s play a little game of fact or fiction.

FACT OR FICTION: Lance’s performance just added more $$ to Dak’s bank account

There is a small group of people holding their breath that the young Lance would show up in Dallas and be the guy many thought he could be when he was selected third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. That group just got a bit smaller on Saturday.

Lance was never a guy who posed any threat to Prescott’s job. His performance did nothing to change the front office’s perspective of their starting quarterback situation. They know they need Dak and they didn’t look at Lance as a potential path to save some serious dough. Prescott will still get his big deal. If Lance helped anyone get richer, it’s Cooper Rush, who hits free agency next offseason.

Verdict: Fiction.

FACT OR FICTION: Lance is at risk of making the team

The Cowboys’ plan for Lance was to get him into the facility and help him grow. We’ve seen him flash his raw talent in preseason games, but it’s clear that his decision-making is holding him back. The best-case scenario for him was to progress enough for the Cowboys to feel good about him being the QB2 on the team, allowing them to part ways with Rush. That’s obviously not going to happen now.

At the same time, they know he still has a lot to learn. They won’t wave the white flag and give up on him. With camp over, expect a season similar to last year where he’s on the roster, inactive during gameday, and will serve as the team’s emergency quarterback. That’s not ideal, but it’s still the right play going forward.

Verdict: Fiction

FACT OR FICTION: The Cowboys wasted a fourth-round pick

With things not going as well as they hoped, the question begs, did the front office make a mistake by trading away a fourth-round pick to acquire him? Fourth-round picks are nothing to shake a stick at (what does that even mean?). Sometimes they’re Dak Prescott, other times they’re Viliami Fehoko. You never know.

At the moment, this looks like a bad investment, but it’s important to reiterate that this is a “to be determined” situation. With more development needed, the Cowboys stand a good chance of re-signing him to a cheap short-term deal that will extend their evaluation period another couple of years. Only then will we know the answer to this question.

Verdict: TBD