With no movement on Dak Prescott's extension, if the two sides decide this will be his last year in Dallas, is there any chance this will be an evaluation year to see if Trey Lance could be the man in 2025? Kind of like what the Packers did with Jordan Love? If not, why did the Cowboys spend a fourth-round draft pick on Lance, one they very much need now? – Michal Shafer/Sparks, NV
Nick Eatman:I don't know about the evaluation during the season, but they better make sure and get him plenty of snaps in the preseason. I would think Lance might actually get the majority of the reps in the three games, and could even get the entire work in the first and third. We don't anticipate seeing Dak Prescott at all in the preseason and I don't think Cooper Rush needs a lot of reps either. Actually, Lance and Rush could be battling for the No. 2 spot depending on how Lance does this offseason and training camp. But one way or another, we'll get to see plenty of him before the season starts. Now, as for the regular season, that will likely come down to how the season is going. But I don't foresee anyone other than Dak getting most of the reps in the regular season. If that's not the case, then we can all expect there to be some big changes in 2025 anyway.
Patrik: Regardless of what happens with Dak Prescott (I believe he'll remain in Dallas, by the way), this coming season will absolutely be an evaluation year for Lance. I penned a piece earlier this offseason stating my belief that Lance would be positioned to outright challenge Cooper Rush for the role of QB2 and, not long thereafter, Jerry Jones stated that would unequivocally be the case for the former third-overall pick. So, at worst, Lance will be thrown a ton of opportunities in training camp and in the preseason to see what he can do, but don't count on him seeing any regular season snaps in such a pivotal season— barring injury at the position or the Cowboys blowing teams out as they often did in 2023. And yes, the Cowboys would love to have a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and I think they'll figure out a way to get one before it's all said-and-done.
