Cowboys countdown to kickoff: #15 Will Grier, and his replacement Trey Lance

We’re continuing our countdown to the opening game of the Dallas Cowboys 2023 regular season. Each day we’ll present a new player whose jersey number represents the countdown to opening day. Today is number 15.

QB Will Grier
Born: 3rd April 1995 (28) - Davidson, North Carolina
College: West Virginia Mountaineers
Draft: 2019, Round 3, Pick 100, Carolina Panthers

Due to the unusual circumstances for Will Grier in tonight’s game, where he will play the whole game then be released in the coming days, we have included his replacement, Trey Lance.

QB Trey Lance
Born: 9th May 2000 (23) - Marshall, Minnesota
College: North Dakota State Bison
Draft: 2021, Round 1, Pick 3, San Francisco 49ers

Trey Lance
2022 Stats: (San Francisco 49ers)
Snaps: 84
Pass Attempts: 31
Completions: 15
Completion Accuracy: 48%
Yards: 194
Touchdowns: 0
Interceptions: 1
First Downs: 8
Sacks: 2
Passer Rating: 55.0
Penalties: 0

College:
Normally we’d do Will Grier here, but it seems appropriate to concentrate on Trey Lance.

Trey Lance joined North Dakota in 2018 and redshirted his first year. In 2019, he was named the stater and he finished the season completing 192 passes for 2,786 yards, 28 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. This was an NCAA record for most passing attempts in a season without an interception. He also rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. He led the Bison to a victory in the FCS Championship game and was named MVP of the game. He was also named the winner of the Walter Payton award for best offensive player in FCS and he won the Jerry Rice award.

In 2021, Lance’s season was cut short due to the reduced season during the pandemic. His one game he did play that year he went 15/30 and threw two touchdown passes and one interception, while running for two additional touchdowns. He would later declare for the NFL draft.

Cowboys Outlook:
Right now, Cooper Rush has the backup QB role solidified and has the coaches trust after helping the team win four games in Dak Prescott’s absence. In training camp Will Grier had his moments but so far those moments haven’t transitioned in his preseason game performance. Last week against the Seattle Seahawks he had major struggles.

This week against the Las Vegas Raiders, Grier plays his final game as a Cowboy. The Cowboys traded a fourth-round draft pick for Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers. The team has already indicated Grier will play against the Raiders in an effort to showcase his talent for other NFL rosters. Some time post-game, Grier will be released in favor of Lance.

As for Lance, he now gets to take a second bite of the NFL apple on a new roster. This can sometimes bring on something new from a player with a fresh start. Since joining the NFL in 2021, Lance has thrown 102 times and completing 56 for 797 times and five touchdowns. He’s also thrown three interceptions and rushed for 235 yards.

Lance is classed as a dual-threat quarterback, but at this point he is a better runner than he is a passer. That’s because he has only average arm strength, more in terms of velocity. He can throw the deep pass when required but it’s not something he can do consistently as his arm accuracy isn’t great. You see this a lot when he takes very few risks and always wants to find the easy pass. He does have good play recognition and football IQ is one of his strengths. If Brian Schottenheimer is looking to utilize his run/pass talent with a play-action attack, then he could work out very well.

The Big Question:
What is Trey Lance’s ceiling with the Cowboys? Answer in the comments.