Ravens GM slams trade report about Cowboys' Trey Lance

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta strongly denied on Friday that he actively looked into trading for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance in late August. 

"Yeah, I would say that’s just bad reporting," DeCosta told media members, as shared by Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Banner. "If somebody calls you and asks about if you’re interested in the player, and you say no, does that mean you’re interested in that player? You know, it’s just one of those things." 

Senior NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported last week that the Ravens and Buffalo Bills were "two teams that had conversations with" the San Francisco 49ers "about a possible trade for" Lance after San Francisco relegated the 2021 first-round draft pick to third on the depth chart. 

Russini added at that time that the Detroit Lions "also showed interest" in Lance, but Lions general manager Brad Holmes said Friday he "never inquired about the player" and "never actively pursued the player" before the 49ers traded the signal-caller to the Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick. 

"We’ve got good quarterbacks," DeCosta continued. "We love our quarterbacks. We weren’t looking to add any quarterbacks at all this training camp. That’s what I would say on that." 

This spring, the Ravens and starting quarterback Lamar Jackson agreed to a five-year contract reportedly worth up to $260M with $185M in guaranteed cash. Shaffer noted that Tyler Huntley, Jackson's primary backup, hasn’t practiced since a preseason game on Aug. 12 because of a hamstring injury. Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons mentioned Baltimore also has journeyman Josh Johnson on the roster and Anthony Brown on the practice squad.

"So we think we’re dealing with a position of strength at the quarterback position, with three guys that have shown they can play winning football for us, and we’re excited about that," DeCosta said ahead of the holiday weekend. 

At this point, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones may find himself wondering if he overpaid for Lance's services ahead of the season.