Trey Lance has performed solidly in two preseason performances so far, which has prompted speculation that he could be involved in a roster cut-down trade for any number of quarterback-hungry teams. Given the potential that Lance has flashed to date, the Cowboys would probably have no shortage of interested suitors.
Jerry Jones knows that, but he also knows he needs Lance at the moment. He's facing multiple holdouts and contract situations involving CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and Micah Parsons. No NFL team wants to go into a regular season vulnerable at the most important position in football, which explains Jones' guarantee that he'll make the final 53-main roster.
How much is Trey Lance worth?
According to the terms of his current expiring contract, Lance is expected to count for $5.3 million against Dallas's salary cap. That's pocket money at the quarterback position, even though very few teams pay their 3rd string QB that kind of money.
But the Cowboys quarterback situation is fluid, to say the least. Jones and Prescott have been trading quotes for months about the starting quarterback possibly getting a lucrative extension, but with the regular season just weeks away, the owner needs more than just Cooper Rush to guarantee success if something happens to Prescott.
Jones has said he wants to see more work from Lance, but he knows what would happen if the Cowboys released Lance. Another team would pounce, and if that happened, Dallas would end up wasting the fourth-round pick they traded to the 49ers to get Lance next year.
That work will come this weekend at Arlington Stadium, where the LA Chargers will pay a visit. Lance's performance in that game will be the final deciding factor in whether Jones' guarantee is legitimate, but it's impossible to rule out a trade if the right team came calling.
What Lance has done to date
Trey Lance has been surprisingly effective in his first two preseason games. He threw for 151 yards and a touchdown, and he also scored on the ground while posting 34 yards as the Cowboys beat the Raiders 27-12. Before that he shook off the rust against the Rams, throwing for 188 yards and adding another 44 yards rushing.
It's those rushing numbers that really stand out. Lance came out of college with a reputation as an athletic quarterback who could do things when he broke from the pocket, and now he's starting to show that potential for real.
The CeeDee Lamb situation
Jerry Jones has bigger decisions than the one involving Trey Lance on his plate, however. CeeDee Lamb is engaging in a real holdout, and according to reports the Cowboys have offered a deal that averages just under $33 million a year, but the star receiver hasn't signed it yet.
According to Jane Slater of NFL Media, the two sides have had no contact since that offer was made, and the regular season is just 19 days away. That means the final composition of the Cowboys receiver room is still in flux. Jones believes it will take "the proper amount of everything--emphasis, importance--for everybody involved here, and we'll see how it goes."
Cowboy fans are justified about feeling nervous, but Jones has signed last-minute extensions in the past--it's part of the way he does things. One of the most recent examples is that of Ezekiel Elliot, who signed his huge extension on September 3rd back in 2019. But this is 2024, and Lamb isn't Elliot, so Jones, the Cowboys, and their star receiver still have some important work to do.