Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sees opportunity for Trey Lance to develop under Dak Prescott
The Dallas Cowboys made a surprising move in acquiring quarterback Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers on the eve of the club's 2023 preseason finale.
Speaking Saturday after the announcement of the trade, Jerry Jones said he sees it as a great opportunity for Dak Prescott to help develop the former No. 3 overall pick.
"Well he gives us an opportunity to -- at a level that we probably had never gone in the draft -- to work and develop a young quarterback," the Cowboys owner said, via the team's official website. "And, you need to be doing that."
Jones added that while the team acted quickly to get Lance in Dallas, the decision doesn't affect the team's strong belief in Prescott as the QB1.
"We hit this and figuratively didn't even get them off the phone, because we wanted him to get him in here," he said. "Not in any way to be confused that we're not betting on our success on Dak. We just need to, the Dallas Cowboys, where we can, be developing the best that we can develop for the future for quarterbacks."
The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick for Lance, who the 49ers selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after trading multiple first-round picks in order to move up for the North Dakota State product.
Lance's tenure in San Francisco was frustrating, to say the least. The 23-year-old earned the starting job ahead of the 2022 season but a fractured ankle in Week 2 quickly ended his highly anticipated campaign. The subsequent rise of Brock Purdy, who led the Niners to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie last year, effectively put Lance in the rearview. The team naming Sam Darnold as the backup to Purdy for 2023 only furthered what appeared to be an imminent exit.
49ers players and coaches had nothing
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