FRISCO — The Trey Lance experiment has hit another hiatus for the Dallas Cowboys. Lance got his first run with the team through three preseason games, but of course was not positioned to command anything besides a reserve role this season.
That rollercoaster ride saw the young quarterback make progress, but also a handful of confusing mistakes. Additionally, Dak Prescott’s record contract extension essentially ended his hopes of ever commanding the Cowboys’ starting job under center.
Dallas’ trade for him remains a confusing decision, though the whims of Jerry Jones are best served for separate discussions. Pertaining to the quarterback, what does it look like now?
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Very quickly, the former first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers became the odd man out before coming to Dallas where there is no long term vision for him either. Studying under Prescott certainly benefits his knowledge of the game, but there is little value in that knowledge if he is not applying it on the field.
However, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy still posits belief in Lance. Friday, McCarthy validated his future as a potential starter.
“Trey has everything you’re looking for and on top of it he’s a high-quality young man,” McCarthy said on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “He needs reps and he’s in an excellent quarterback room with Dak and Cooper … he’s going to start in this league someday I truly believe that.”
That bold prediction banks a lot on opportunity, which Lance will likely not get in Dallas. When Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with a concussion, some thought the AFC East franchise could take their own stab at the Lance experiment.
As McCarthy demonstrated, some quarterbacks take longer to blossom and need that time and patience to develop. Being such a high draft pick, Lance was never afforded such a luxury.
Players like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith have all revitalized their careers in new situations after learning within a system or under a highly touted quarterback.
Lance has worked with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for some time now. It is not unrealistic to assume that once he gets his shot, he could prove McCarthy right.
