The Baltimore Ravens had the chance of a lifetime on Friday when they could have landed a franchise QB to become Lamar Jackson's backup... in exchange for just a fourth-round pick... and they whiffed. Sheesh.
The San Francisco 49ers finally cut all ties with former no. 3 overall pick Trey Lance on Friday sending him to Dallas in a trade in which all they fetched in return was a fourth rounder.
Adam Schefter of ESPN first broke the news, initially reporting the return as "a mid-round" pick, per sources. The full details became available later, with Schefter revealing that the Cowboys only had to send Frisco a fourth-round pick in exchange for the franchise QB.
Trade: 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per sources. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/UxKNpljktv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2023
According to Benjamin Allbright of KOAColorado, the Ravens were, in fact, reportedly interested in trading for Trey Lance before the Dallas Cowboys stole the QB from them.
"Atlanta, Baltimore, and Dallas have already called about Trey Lance," Allbright tweeted, "No word on Denver yet." The message accompanying the image in the tweet confirmed the team acquiring the QB was Dallas.
Dallas gets him. pic.twitter.com/Ei8PxfQOjf
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) August 25, 2023
Baltimore reportedly offered contracts to Baker Mayfield (signed with Tampa Bay) and Jacoby Brissett (signed with Washington) before signing Lamar Jackson to his current $260 million extension. Even then, it's been widely known that the Ravens wanted to improve their quarterback room and rotation anyway.
After failing to secure Mayfield and Brissett, the Ravens have now fumbled the ball for a third time by not trading for Trey Lance, let alone considering the measly price of just a fourth-round pick demanded by the 49rs.
Lance has not lived up to the expectations and the hype surrounding him once he got drafted with the third-overall pick in 2021 and he reportedly demanded a trade last Wednesday, per Schefter.
The franchise QB might have not excelled in the NFL, but that's more for a lack of opportunites than any actual underperforming when on the field. The Ravens missed on trading for, perhaps, the best backup quarterback in the NFL, full stop.
Lance cost San Francisco three first-round picks and a third-rounder in order to move up to the no. 3 spot and land him in the draft. It would have cost Baltimore a measly fourth-round pick.
Most importantly, having Lance would have helped the Ravens get rid of the headache of carrying Josh Johnson and/or Tyler Huntley into the 2023 regular season.
The former North Dakota standout passed for 2,786 yards, ran for 1,100 yards, and threw 28 touchdown passes without a single interception in 2019 at age 19 on his way to lead the Bison to an impeccable 16–0 record and the FCS national title.
You don't get this type of prospect for a fourth-round selection easily in the NFL, if ever. Lance could have developed under Jackson's guidance while honing a similar skill set, and taken over when Lamar inevitably gets injured late in the season offering Baltimore more guarantees than Johnson/Huntley can provide.
Baltimore clearly whiffed and got busted on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Kudos to the Cowboys, they won the weekend, the offseason, and who knows if a Super Bowl with Lance leading America's Team in a couple of seasons.