Getty Image / Loren Elliott
Backup quarterbacks have been on the move in the NFL over the past couple of days.
On Thursday, Josh Dobbs was surprisingly traded to the Arizona Cardinals after being named the QB2 for the Browns in the same day.
Yesterday, we saw a trade where the player being traded wasn’t all that surprising, but the landing spot was.
The Football world has been expecting Trey Lance to be traded ever since him becoming the 3rd-string QB for the 49ers began to appear likely.
The Dallas Cowboys were not one of the teams that was expected to be interested.
Still, they took the opportunity to land a former top 3 pick for just a 4th rounder.
While the trade didn’t cost the Cowboys much and shouldn’t change much this year, it seems it did have one surprising effect.
The Dallas Cowboys’ odds to win the NFC East actually got worse on DraftKings Sportsbook following the trade.
Dallas Cowboys odds to win the NFC East before and after trading for Trey Lance…
– Before: (+190)
– After: (+195) pic.twitter.com/nfNGgQBxSq— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) August 25, 2023
I’m not really sure how trading for Trey Lance gives the Cowboys a worse chance of winning the NFC East, but it also isn’t something that’s going to help them take the division back from the Eagles.
While Lance has now gotten out of a situation in San Francisco where he was buried on the depth chart, he now just finds himself in a situation in Dallas where he is buried on the depth chart.
Lance now finds himself stuck behind a 2-time Pro Bowler who won’t be losing his starting job any time soon. Even if that Pro Bowler is injured, Lance still probably isn’t even the backup on this team.
Lance is seemingly still a project QB heading into his 3rd year in the league, which is troubling for a guy was taken 3rd overall. Cooper Rush isn’t a project. He wasn’t all that impressive statistically last season when called upon, but he proved he can win games with this Cowboys team.
We probably won’t see Trey Lance on the field for the Dallas Cowboys this season and may never actually see him take the field, but it seems his presence is still enough to get bettors a slightly better price on the Cowboys to win the NFC East.