Trey Lance Trade Puts Pressure On Dak?

Prescott’s four-year, $160 million deal has a massive cap charge of $59.4 million looming for 2024. Many assumed at the outset of the offseason that, eventually, the Cowboys and Dak would work out an extension. But if Dak wants market-level pay without market-level performance, that makes things a little tricky for the Cowboys.

Enter Lance, who gives the Cowboys a low-cost fall-back option in the event that Prescott potentially persists in wanting another top-of-market deal in early 2024. The Cowboys could trade or, in theory, release Dak. None of his $34 million in 2024 pay is guaranteed.

The cap charge if they keep Dak without a new deal is $59.455 million. The cap charge if they cut him or trade him before June 1 is $61.915 million.

Dak once again has the Cowboys over a barrel. Lance, and his relatively low compensation package (compared to Dak’s), becomes an affordable replacement in 2024, if they cant work out a deal for Dak.

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We don’t belive this puts any extra pressure on Dak in the short term. If Dak struggles this year we don’t believe that fans will think Trey should start. Dak already has a ton of pressure on him this trade doesn’t add that much.

What this does do is give the Cowboys some leverage over Dak. They can take this year and the next and try and see if Trey is good enough to be Dak’s replacement.

So far, it seems like this trade was a big win for the Cowboys.