Getty Bills head coach Sean McDermott (R) with general manager Brandon Beane (L).
The Buffalo Bills made a failed attempt to acquire a new backup to quarterback Josh Allen, with a report claiming they jumped into the chase to land former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance.
The San Francisco 49ers shipped Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2024, ESPN reported on August 25. Quarterback Brock Purdy seized the starting job in San Francisco and veteran Sam Darnold ended up ahead of Lance on the depth chart, leading the 49ers to trade him away.
The Bills were in the running for Lance as well, but fell short of the Cowboys’ offer and now could face an uncertain future with their backup quarterback position.
Bills Outbid by Cowboys
Reporter Cam Inman shared on Friday that the Bills were in the running for Lance but did not make an offer more enticing than the fourth-round pick the Cowboys sent.
“#49ers traded Lance to #Cowboys after they made better offer than #Bills, according to a team source,” Inman wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Lance was at Levi’s Stadium and took this news better than Wednesday’s, when he learned #2 job was lost to Sam Darnold. Lance met with Shanahan, John Lynch, Jed York after deal”
Trade: 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per sources. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini added that there were other teams in the mix, with the bidding starting at a late-round pick before the Cowboys upped the ante and finalized the trade.
“The Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens are two teams that had conversations with San Francisco about a possible trade for Trey Lance,” Russini shared on X. “In the NFC, the Detroit Lions also showed interest, per sources. Most of the early discussions about a trade involved a 6th rounder that could get to a 5th. In the end, the Dallas Cowboys offered the best deal.”
Bills Advised to Make Backup Quarterback Upgrade
Fox Sports writer Henry McKenna had predicted that the Bills would make a run at Lance, writing earlier in the week that the team could make the potential upgrade at backup quarterback after both Kyle Allen and Matt Barkley had struggled in the preseason.
“A trade for Lance would be a little crazy, I’ll admit. At the same time, the 49ers really don’t seem to value their former first-round pick anymore,” McKenna wrote. “It might make some sense to trade for Lance and develop him behind Allen. Lance’s skill set is comparable to what Allen was as a rookie. If Lance costs a conditional mid-round pick, the Bills and 49ers might agree to terms.”
The Bills ultimately couldn’t make an offer big enough to land Lance, but some insiders have still suggested that the team will look for an upgrade behind Josh Allen. The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia suggested that the Bills could target Case Keenum, who served as their No. 2 quarterback last season before re-joining the Houston Texans in free agency.
“The Bills’ 2022 backup, Case Keenum, is in a rather unique situation with the Houston Texans. Keenum is signed to a two-year deal that’s fully guaranteed in 2023, though he remains third on the depth chart behind both C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills,” Buscaglia noted, adding that it likely wouldn’t take much to acquire Keenum and his $2.5-million cap hit would be easy for the Bills to manage.
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Bills Rumors: Team Made Failed Effort to Upgrade Josh Allen’s Backup