The 49ers made Trey Lance the third overall pick in the draft after he had started just 17 games at North Dakota State. Then they traded him to the Cowboys after he had started just four games in San Francisco. Lance never played a down in his first year with the Cowboys, so there still isn’t much to evaluate him on. But coach Mike McCarthy likes what he sees this offseason.
McCarthy said Lance is “definitely” an improved quarterback compared to where he was when he arrived in Dallas last year, and that his work in learning the Cowboys’ offense has been outstanding.
“Young quarterback comes into a new system, so you got the learning curve, but now starting to get the timing with the routes,” McCarthy said. “He’s close to being a master of the system. He has a really high understanding. He’s communicating very well. He looks more and more comfortable. He just needs reps. I know I say that every time I talk about him. He just needs as many reps as he can.”
Lance probably isn’t going to do much in Dallas, given that he’s behind not only Dak Prescott but also Cooper Rush on the depth chart. But all he can do now is put in the work in the offseason, and McCarthy says that’s what he’s doing. Perhaps some day, Lance will actually get some significant playing time.