NFL Rumors: Vikings Weren't in on Trey Lance Talks At All Before 49ers, Cowboys Trade

The Minnesota Vikings didn't make a serious run at Trey Lance at the 11th hour prior to his trade to the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

Seifert reported the Vikings "were not in on the Trey Lance talks at all" on Friday, when his move to Dallas was finalized. He added the franchise appears committed to 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall and relayed comments from head coach Kevin O'Connell about the BYU product.

Minnesota made sense as a trade partner for the San Francisco 49ers when it came to Lance.

Kirk Cousins is one year away from free agency, and the franchise has little in the way of a succession plan if he leaves. Nick Mullens isn't a long-term solution, and pinning your hopes to a mid-round pick always presents risk. The Vikings cut Kellen Mond one year after selecting him in the third round.

Lance is largely unproven after having made just eight appearances since entering the NFL in 2021. But he's still only 23 and might retain some untapped potential in the right situation.

In addition, the Cowboys sent a fourth-rounder to the Niners for Lance, which wasn't the kind of price that made the trade prohibitively expensive. Minnesota could've matched that offer.

Granted, what the Vikings invested in Hall would've factored into the overall cost because he would've been pushed further down the depth chart and perhaps marginalized entirely.

By bowing out of the Lance sweepstakes, the front office and coaching staff offered a strong endorsement of Hall.