Curious timing of Cowboys-Trey Lance hype train isn't promising for Dak Prescott deal

The Dallas Cowboys' quiet offseason continues without much progress on the Dak Prescott front. Entering the final year of his contract without an extension, Prescott has been gracious and forthcoming to the media. He's ready to win football games and hopefully guide Dallas to a better finish in the playoffs.

And yet, the Cowboys remain curiously uncommitted to the MVP runner-up. Prescott has earned a major contract by all measures, but Dallas appears to be hedging its bets. Logic suggests that Prescott will eventually get his desired long-term deal, but it's worth paying attention to how the Cowboys position his potential replacement.

Dallas' Trey Lance, a former No. 3 pick, was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers last season in exchange for a fourth-round pick. As Reid Hanson of Cowboys Wire points out, that looks like bad investment on the surface. A day-two pick for two years of a third-string quarterback is bad value. That is, unless Lance eventually steps into a more front-and-center role.

Sure, Lance isn't really involved in the Cowboys' game plan week to week. But, in a league where quarterbacks bust more often than not, there is some potential value in bringing Lance along slowly and getting two years of inside knowledge about a former top-3 pick. If Prescott does leave, well, Lance is the obvious successor until Dallas can land a more established name.

Cowboys' Trey Lance hype train could spell bad news for Dak Prescott

Part of the justification for the Lance trade — implicitly, if not explicitly — was that Jerry Jones loved the kid. He made the trade without consulting his front office personnel, showing blind faith in a talented dual-threat athlete. Prescott happened to put together his best individual season shortly after the trade, leading Dallas to an NFC East title, but the seeds of change were planted early.

To circle back to Hanson's column, Lance was always Prescott insurance. With Lance, the Cowboys don't need to start over from scratch if Prescott leaves. There's an in-house option who knows the playbook and who offers plenty of upside at 24 years old.

"By acquiring Lance in advance, the Cowboys have given themselves two seasons to assess and develop an option for life after Prescott. Since his development runs concurrently to Prescott’s time at the helm, they can theoretically hit the ground running if Prescott leaves in 2025."

Now, the Trey Lance experience has always been better in theory than in actuality. Injuries prevented him from getting a full runway in San Francisco, but Lance's sparse NFL appearances have been largely ineffective. He's a wholly unproven commodity who hails from North Dakota State, a small-time school with a light strength of schedule.

The Cowboys can fall in love with Lance as a person and a worker, but until he gets consistent NFL reps and proves his mettle against live competition, it's hard to seriously consider him as a viable alternative to Prescott. We aren't talking about some replacement-level QB. Prescott led the league in completions and passing touchdowns last season.

Lance is a fun afterthought — a potentially juicy story — but the Cowboys need to tread extremely carefully if he's actually under consideration to fill Prescott's shoes next season. It's much safer to just pay the man. It won't get better than Prescott.