A Cowboys-Raiders trade to inject some excitement into the Vegas QB room

The Dallas Cowboys have talked up Trey Lance all offseason long. Meanwhile, extension talks with Dak Prescott loom in the background. It's not a great look for Dallas, which will have to pay up if they hope to keep Prescott around long term.

In all likelihood, the Cowboys will eventually make Prescott one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. Jared Goff just got paid, and Prescott is up next. The longer the Cowboys wait, the worse it will hurt Jerry Jones wallet.

In the meantime, though, Dallas can cash in on comments like this from head coach Mike McCarthy about Lance.

"My point is, he's crossing that threshold and I've been very, very pleased. The athletic ability is top notch. We've adjusted some things in his motion," McCarthy said. "He needs reps and you're trying to give him as many reps as you can throughout this offseason program. He will take a large part of the preseason, that's the design. Him and I talk about preseason quite often. That's what we're building towards."

Could the Cowboys trade Trey Lance to the Raiders?

The Raiders signed Gardner Minshew this offseason to pair with incumbent starting quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who made some strides this past season. Antonio Pierce seems to believe in O'Connell, and Minshew is a proven veteran who could make some noise in training camp. Vegas passed on selecting a rookie in this year's NFL Draft class, but if they wanted to add another exciting prospect to their QB room, Lance isn't a bad option.

Despite everything the Cowboys are saying about Lance, he remains a prospect, and a young one at that. Lance is still just 24 years old but has the talent of a former top-5 pick if any QB guru can ever unlock him. The asking price would not be high, as the Cowboys acquired him for a fourth-round pick last September.

Dallas has little reason to trade Lance unless they can get more than one pick in return. Lance is not worth a Day 2 selection at this point in his career, as he's a relatively unproven prospect. Trading two Day 3 picks over the course of two separate drafts, however, makes sense for the Raiders if they believe some of the rumblings out of Cowboys OTAs.

Dealing Lance essentially forces the Cowboys hand with Prescott, and provides his camp with even more leverage in contract talks. This trade would be best made after extending Dak, which could happen any day now.