Lions' reported interest in Trey Lance should not be such a big surprise

It was bound to happen, and it did. On Friday, the San Francisco 49ers sent quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. The Cowboys are a surprising landing spot, but Lance being dealt was inevitable.

As is typical in these situations, other teams who were interested in trading for Lance will surface. Right on cue, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported just such a list on Saturday morning.

"The Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens are two teams that had conversations with San Francisco about a possible trade for Trey Lance.
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."

- Dianna Russini

The Lions as a potential landing spot for Lance is not a new concept. The drafting of Hendon Hooker in April did change the "quarterback of the future" equation though.

Some sentiment elsewhere in the aftermath of Russini's report suggests the Lions' interest in Lance makes no sense, and in some respect is a surprise to find out.

NFL trade rumors: Lions' interest in Trey Lance is not a surprise

There are some people out there who think Jared Goff will be the Lions' quarterback for the next several years. Others have a lot of hope Hooker can be the guy to take over down the road.

Having played such little football over the last few years, as COVID all but eliminated his final college season at North Dakota State and injuries have derailed him in the NFL, Lance is still essentially a developmental prospect. In the right situation, maybe he can become something. He's also still just 23 years old, two years younger than Hooker. The Lions surely did some scouting of Lance before the 2021 draft too.

The price had to be right, and Dallas apparently trumped everyone else with an offer of a fourth-round pick. But the Lions' interest in Lance, on a sheer due diligence level, should not be such a surprise.