The San Francisco 49ers ripped the bandaid off on Wednesday, naming Sam Darnold QB2 behind starter Brock Purdy. The news wasn't exactly shocking -- Darnold performed well in camp and earned glowing reviews in the preseason -- but it did make headlines because of who didn't get named QB2.
Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, will now be third on the Niners' QB depth chart. That's not great, Bob -- for Lance, or for the Niners, who gave away serious assets to trade up and select Lance, only to push him to the periphery of the roster.
Lance is out of sight but not out of mind. The Niners are expected to consider trades for the North Dakota State product. Lance has more than his share of detractors, but there's a reason he was so highly touted out of college and several teams should take interest in him as a development project.
One team in particular merits watching.
Minnesota Vikings are team to watch in Trey Lance trade rumors
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Minnesota Vikings held Lance trade talks this past spring, but they fell apart. Now there's renewed motivation for the Niners to consider a deal.
It doesn't qualify as selling high, but the longer Lance is buried on the depth chart, the more his trade value will depreciate. The Niners would be wise to admit defeat and trade Lance while he still has the enigmatic promise of upside. If he sticks around too long, teams will start to view Lance as a bust, not a former top pick in the wrong situation.
As for Minnesota, the appeal here is obvious. Lance is, in fact, a former top-three pick. As a sophomore at NDSU, Lance threw for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns and ran for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's a true dual-threat QB, which is all the rage in today's NFL.
The Vikings already have a rock-solid QB1 at the moment in Kirk Cousins, but the depth chart behind him leaves much to be desired. QB2 Nick Mullens has a career record of 5-12 under center.
There is also the matter of Kirk Cousins' impending free agency. The 35-year-old hits the open market next summer and the Vikings brass has refused to commit long-term funds to Cousins. He's at the tail end of his NFL prime and it's clear Minnesota is thinking about the future. Well, there's no chance this team will tank hard enough to pick a top QB in the draft. Here's a prime opportunity to grab one for pennies on the dollar via trade.
Lance would surely benefit from a year of mentorship (at least) from Cousins. It's the perfect slow-build development spot for Lance. He gets to learn from a top-shelf vet for a year, then potentially take over in 2024 if all goes well.
Other teams will probably get in the mix, but the Vikings make all the sense in the world on paper.