Cowboys' 'goal' is to draft a QB as Trey Lance, Cooper Rush head for free agency

In 2023, the Dallas Cowboys took a flier on quarterback Trey Lance. They traded a 2024 fourth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers (which became safety Malik Mustapha) for the former No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft. In a third-string role, Lance mainly watched from the sidelines. He got his first start for the Cowboys in their final game of the season, completing 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards. 

It seems that will be his one and only start for Dallas. 

"We think the world of Trey," Stephen Jones, Cowboys chief operating officer and co-owner, told The Dallas Morning News on Monday. "But us having Dak (Prescott) signed up for the long-term, I think he's probably going to be looking for something different."

In addition to Lance's departure, Cooper Rush, who's played seven seasons in Dallas, is set to be an unrestricted free agent. The Cowboys could look to the free-agent market and try to lure a backup with starting experience such as Justin Fields or Drew Lock to fill the void. 

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But with limited cap space, and an impending extension with star defender Micah Parsons, the NFL Draft is where they can find depth at the position at a relatively inexpensive cost. 

The Cowboys will get a chance to see prospects up close this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. The quarterbacks, at least the ones who have decided to participate in the drills, will work out on Saturday, and Dallas will certainly be watching.

"You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft," Jones said. "I don't know where that's going to be.

"That's why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth