The Tennessee Titans’ quarterback position will be a popular topic of conversation this offseason.
The Titans have the option to move on from Ryan Tannehill, a move that will save anywhere from $17.8 to $27 million in cap space, depending on if he’s a pre- or post-June 1 cut or trade.
One of the names that has started to float around as a potential replacement should the Titans part ways with Tannehill is San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Trey Lance.
The North Dakota State product was the former No. 3 overall pick just a few years back but has struggled to get on the field for a variety of reasons.
Lance was expected to be the full-time starter going into the 49ers’ 2022 season after sitting his first year, but unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury that prematurely ended his year in Week 2.
Now that San Francisco has caught lightning in a bottle with Brock Purdy, many believe that the 49ers could decide to move on from Lance this offseason should they stick with Purdy for the long haul.
Naturally, following the hiring of Ran Carthon, many began to wonder about a possible Lance-Carthon reunion in Tennessee, which really kicked off in earnest after Lance made a vague post on Instagram of the Titans’ new general manager with the fingers crossed emoji attached to it.
Interesting IG story from Trey Lance right after the Ran Carthon to Tennessee news broke… pic.twitter.com/gEkk57HvTH
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) January 18, 2023
Many took that as him hoping that Carthon finds a way to trade for him in the near future, although that’s mostly speculation since no one truly knows what Lance’s intentions were.
Adding to that, the actual definition of that emoji is “good luck.”
Regardless of his intentions, the idea of the Titans trading for Lance still fits if he does become available, and it will be a continuing topic of conversation until both teams decide on what they will do at quarterback in 2023.
Fortunately for those hoping the deal becomes a reality, this type of trade may not be as expensive as originally thought.
According to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, San Fran might not fetch more than a third-round pick in return based on what he’s hearing from general managers and other executives around the league.
Even if the Niners are receptive to potential trade offers for Lance after the season, they won’t come close to recouping that haul. Based on my conversations with several teams’ general managers (and other high- ranking front-office executives), Lance would be unlikely to net much more than a third- round selection, though it’s possible there’s a team out there motivated to give more.
One of the biggest obstacles in acquiring someone like Lance will be getting a team like the 49ers to take significantly less than what they originally invested to acquire the former FCS star.
But at some point, you have to cut your ties and just move on, especially if they hit a home run with Purdy. Silver believes that scenario is more likely than not barring a significant change.
It’s time for San Francisco 49ers fans to let go of some fantasies and embrace reality: Barring a seismic jump by Trey Lance — and a shocking regression by Brock Purdy, or an unfortunate injury — Purdy is the team’s starter in 2023, writes Michael Silver. https://t.co/RJUIxdRkcG
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) January 20, 2023
In my personal opinion, I think a conditional second-rounder that can revert to a third-rounder is more than fair enough for a talented quarterback that we still have absolutely no true intel on how good he can be.
There’s no telling how all this plays out, but if the Titans are truly interested in the former North Dakota State legend, and the Niners do make him available, they’ll find a way to get this deal done this offseason.
