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Cowboys' Jerry Jones Reveals Trey Lance Admission: ‘What We Don’t Know’

Trey Lance's future looked bright back in April of 2021 when he was the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
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FRISCO - Trey Lance's future looked bright back in April of 2021 when he was the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

And now? There remains the issue of “what we don’t know.”

The San Francisco 49ers traded away three first-round picks and a second-rounder to the Miami Dolphins to move up to No. 3 to select Lance, who never caught on in coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.

The Dallas Cowboys sent a fourth-round pick to San Francisco for Lance last August, in a move that surprised many. Since then, many still question Lance's place in Dallas under center, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones says he's improving in every aspect.

“The arrow’s really up,” Jones said. “He’s exceeded expectations as a person, as a worker, as a character. He’s got unique skills. He’s very much what we had planned on, hoped. When we gave the pick, we knew we would be paying the bonus right now. That was a part of the same decision. That’s been reinforced by what he’s been with the team and the person he is, potentially the player.”

Exceeding expectations in practice and on the field in game action are two different things, and Jones knows he'll have to do more.

“We don’t know any more on the field, from the experience in games, we don’t know any more than what we knew when we brought him on, and that is his college and his time in San Francisco,” Jones said. “What we do know, though, is what he’s done in practice. We don’t know about his game experience, we don’t know his competitive experience, but we do know about his practice experience, and the things he’s done there, it’s been all plus.”

After spending all of last season at No. 3 on the depth chart behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, Jones indicated Lance will compete in camp for the backup role. … but Jones’ concession is a key one … 

There remains the issue of “what we don’t know.”