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After trading up to select Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft just over two years ago, the San Francisco 49ers have elected to move on from the 23-year-old quarterback, trading Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Niners sent three first-round picks and a third-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in order to move up to the third spot in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Lance, a player they hoped could be their quarterback of the future.
Lance battled injuries and ineffectiveness during his short time in San Francisco and ultimately started just four games for the Niners. His future with the team looked to be on shaky ground due to a combination of his own underwhelming play, injury issues, and the emergence of Brock Purdy as a starting-caliber quarterback in 2022. The organization recently announced that Sam Darnold - another high-profile draft disappointment - had beaten out Lance for the backup QB position in a training camp competition.
Considered a talented but raw prospect when drafted out of North Dakota State, Lance will now continue his NFL journey with the Dallas Cowboys, where he'll learn behind Dak Prescott and presumably battle incumbent Dallas backup Cooper Rush for the QB2 role. Read on to find out why the San Francisco Niners traded Trey Lance and his fantasy football outlook with the Dallas Cowboys.
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Why Did The Niners Trade Trey Lance?
While this trade might feel like a "blockbuster" due to Lance's high profile, it's a move that will likely have very little short-term fantasy impact. Lance's window for fantasy relevance quickly closed in San Francisco due to Brock Purdy's emergence last year and his recent inability to beat out Sam Darnold for the backup QB role during the Niners training camp.
Trade: 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per sources. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/UxKNpljktv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2023
With prototypical NFL size and athleticism, Lance was once a darling of the fantasy community, as many wanted to get in on the ground floor of a potential franchise quarterback that projected to be a dual threat at the NFL level. Those projections never came to pass, as Lance fell behind as a rookie thanks to a broken index finger on his throwing hand before suffering a season-ending ankle injury just two games into the 2022 campaign.
Lance ends his brief time in San Francisco with 797 passing yards, five TDs, and three INTs after appearing in just eight games overall. Obviously, these are hugely disappointing numbers for a player selected with the third overall pick of the NFL Draft - especially one that came at a trade cost of three first-round draft picks.
Trey Lance's Fantasy Outlook With The Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys were obviously willing to take a flier on the former No. 3 overall pick, sending a fourth-round pick to the Niners in a relatively low-risk deal. With Dak Prescott firmly established as Dallas' starting QB, Lance will be given time to develop in a fairly low-stress role with his new team.
Prescott did miss a large portion of the 2020 season with a fractured ankle, as well as five games last year with a broken thumb. Bringing in Lance does give them a bit of insurance in the event of more injuries to their star QB, who is currently signed through the 2024 season.
Trey Lance's big arm is headed to The Big D.@treylance09 | @DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/NfCqLw2RUE
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2023
Lance will likely battle Cooper Rush for the Cowboys' backup position. Although Rush has logged a 5-1 record as the Dallas starter when filling in for Prescott over the last two years, he's not viewed by most as a long-term NFL starter. Despite his failures in San Francisco, the Cowboys likely view Lance as a project that still possesses very real upside in the league thanks to the physical tools that made him a No. 3 overall draft pick. That said, he's not likely to have the opportunity to make a fantasy football impact in 2023.
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