Last preseason, the Dallas Cowboys made a move to give themselves some cover…
One year later, it hasn’t worked out.
Dak’s Big Weekend
What Happened: Exactly one year ago today, the Dallas Cowboys swung a trade to pick up on San Francisco’s failed Trey Lance experiment. Once Brock Purdy emerged as the 49ers’ clear cut no. 1 QB, Lance’s days were numbered.
Dallas shipped off a fourth round pick for Lance with the expectation of getting his career back on track patiently. He was no threat to Dak Prescott last season, but as Prescott enters the final year of his contract, would Lance perhaps be a viable replacement if Dak and the Cowboys couldn’t reach an agreement on a new deal?
Why It Matters: Safe to say the answer to that question is no after a preseason performance in which Lance chucked five (!) interceptions against the Chargers, solidifying his position as QB3 in Dallas for this season, behind Prescott and Cooper Rush.
If Lance had been able to show glimpses of what made him worthy of the third pick in the 2021 draft (a 46-yard TD run did just that) without marring the showcase with boneheaded decisions (pick an interception) then perhaps Jerry Jones could bluff to Prescott’s reps that he was ready to roll with Rush and Lance, rather than pay Prescott $60 million on a new deal.
Instead, Lance just handed Prescott a ton more leverage in his negotiations with Jones. If Dallas felt backed into a corner before, it’s now a cowering mess as Prescott can toss Jerruh a blank check, knowing it’s either pay him or start from scratch.
What Weâre Watching Today
US Open Tennis (All Day) – There are 22 courts at this tournament held in Queens, New York, and the schedule runs all day. If you have a favorite player, find their scheduled match time; otherwise, this early in the proceedings, just throw on the broadcast and enjoy whoever is playing at the moment.
Royals at Guardians (6:40 PM ET) –Â The American League Central continues to be the most interesting division in baseball, with three teams currently in playoff position. The Guardians sit atop the Royals and Twins, but both teams are just three games behind Cleveland for the division lead, and the Royals have the best run differential of them all.
The Look Ahead
Randy Vasquez STRIKEOUTS – The Cardinals are light on power, but also light on swinging and missing this season. Still, Randy Vasquez’ strikeouts prop for tonight is 2.5; he’s bested that in two straight starts, and in four of his last six. Three Ks isn’t too much to ask, even for a hurler who pitches to contact as much as Vasquez does.
