Analyst: Cowboys and Seahawks might make an unexpected trade for a quarterback.
According to Dallas Cowboys rumours, Dak Prescott seems to be the team’s franchise quarterback. Due to Geno Smith’s erratic play in 2023, the Seattle Seahawks have significantly less certainty.
Prescott has solidified his place as the starting quarterback for the Cowboys and is a contender for NFL MVP. Dallas still needs to make a choice regarding the role’s future. Trey Lance, Cooper Rush, and Prescott have contracts that expire in 2024.
Given that the quarterback is less than three years off from being the third overall choice in the 2021 NFL draft, Lance probably still has some clout in the NFL. To get Lance as their third quarterback going into the season, the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick to the 49ers. The NFL’s quarterback situation is not great because several teams are struggling with injuries and uncertainty.
Lance still has trade value even if he hasn’t taken a snap for Dallas. The Seahawks, Saints, and Vikings all rumoured to be interested parties in trading for Lance. Dallas have the luxury of having Rush on the team, who in 2024 might serve as Prescott’s backup.
“According to Spotrac, Rush is under contract for just $2.87 million against the cap, so Dallas could slide Lance into the QB2 role next season,” Livesay wrote in a story headlined “Surprising NFL Players Who Could Be Traded This Offseason” on December 8, 2023. “Should the Cowboys continue to use Rush at quarterback, they may begin contacting teams in need of quarterbacks that were not able to select Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, or Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Lance might raise the ceiling on Dallas’ QB2 spot, but the Cowboys could get a better return for Lance than what they paid from teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints or Seattle Seahawks. If those teams miss out on the top passers in the draft, they could see Lance as a viable option.”
In the previous offseason, Smith was signed by Seattle to a three-year, $75 million contract. The Seahawks are on a three-game losing streak going into Week 14, and Smith has now thrown nine interceptions this season. Many Seahawks rumours over Smith’s future have been sparked by this.
Seattle might be able to maintain Smith on the team while reaching a compromise if they sign Lance. With the anticipated No. 15 choice in the 2019 draft, the Seahawks stand to lose out on several of the best quarterback prospects.
Smith may be gone from Seattle as early as 2024, but doing so would come with a substantial $17.4 million dead cap hit. Purchasing Lance would be a rather inexpensive way to give Smith competition.
Even yet, Lance has only appeared in eight NFL games, four of which were starts. Compared to current backup quarterback Drew Lock, the 6-foot-4, 226-pound quarterback has far more upside. Both the Seahawks and the Cowboys must make decisions at the position that could lead to a trade.
