The San Francisco 49ers have named Brock Purdy the starting quarterback and Sam Darnold the backup. That leaves former no. 3 overall pick Trey Lance in an uncertain situation and the 49ers are exploring their options. Here are five potential trade destinations for Trey Lance.
The Buccaneers are going through a transition period as an organization. Tom Brady has just retired and it looks like it is permanent this time. Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield battled it out for the starting job with the latter winning the job to start the season. Even with Mayfield winning the job, the Buccaneers are projected to have a top 10 pick.
If they Bucs want to get a young quarterback to develop they could make a move for Lance. They along with several other teams will be in the sweepstakes for some of the talented rookie quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, but getting someone for sure at a cheaper price might be the move for now. Lance can learn behind Mayfield and develop along with Trask or in place of him.
Washington has been looking for a franchise quarterback for several seasons. This season, they have named Sam Howell the starting quarterback. Howell was a former fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It is rare to see a fifth-round pick win the job and keep it, so the Commanders could still be looking to improve the position.
A trade for Lance could come cheap, as the 49ers already have two quarterbacks on the depth chart ahead of him. In Washington, he could sit behind both Howell and Jacoby Brissett. Brissett could help develop Lance behind Howell, before Lance gets a clear path at playing time for the team.
Another team going through a transition period is the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is now a Jet and the reins of the offense are being handed over to Jordan Love. Love has a lot to prove as a starter and Green Bay might have the least experienced quarterback room in the sport.
If a move is made for Lance, it could be an insurance policy in case of Love not meeting expectations. At the very least, Lance could provide a good backup option for Love, as currently, the Packers have just Sean Clifford and Alex McGough on the roster behind Love. Clifford was a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, while McGough hasn’t seen any significant playing time in his career.
Since Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay, the Patriots have been struggling to find a consistent quarterback. Mac Jones has had some nice moments, but has failed to really establish himself. Bailey Zappe played some in 2022, but the Patriots returned the team to Jones. Jones is going to start this season, but the Patriots could still be looking to improve at the position.
Lance was selected at no. 3 in the same draft that the Patriots selected Jones. Jones was the safer prospect, while Lance had more physical tools to utilize. If the Patriots want to buy Lance cheaply, they could believe that their organization would be able to develop him. It would be an awkward quarterback room, but the addition of Lance could make someone step up and take control.
The Raiders traded Derek Carr and were able to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo to play quarterback this season. They have found a preseason gem in Aidan O’Connell and they also have Brian Hoyer. It may look like the quarterback room is set, but Josh McDaniels has tried to utilize quarterbacks with a little more athleticism, namely Tim Tebow.
While they have solid quarterbacks, the Raiders could get more athleticism and arm talent out of Lance. Lance has already played with Garoppolo and could continue to learn from him, although Garoppolo probably wouldn’t be too excited to see him after Lance started week 1 last year for the 49ers last season.
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