INDIANAPOLIS — The Dallas Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick to take a look at Trey Lance.

The club is now ready to invest another pick in a young quarterback to develop behind Dak Prescott.

Prescott will be the highest-paid player in the NFL this season. That doesn’t leave much money to spread among his backups, which directly impacts Lance and Cooper Rush, who are both free agents.

Stephen Jones, the Cowboys’ chief operating officer and co-owner, doesn’t expect Lance to return.

“We took a shot a Trey and wanted to do that,” Jones told The Dallas Morning News at the scouting combine. “We think the world of Trey.

“But us having Dak signed up for the long term, I think he’s probably going to be looking for something different.”

The Cowboys acquired Lance from San Francisco 18 months ago, just ahead of the team’s final 2023 preseason game. His only full offseason and training camp with Dallas came last season.

Lance played in just four games and had one start in his time with the Cowboys. He completed 25 of 41 passes for 266 yards with one interception, and was sacked four times. He rushed for 41 yards on 11 carries.

New head coach Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Steve Shimko have mentioned to Jones they want the team to draft a quarterback to develop.

“You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft,” Jones said. “I don’t know where that’s going to be.

“That’s why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think.”

And what about Rush, who has compiled a 9-5 record while filling in for Prescott in his Cowboys career?

“You know how much we think of Cooper,” Jones said. “We just don’t know what he’s going to cost.

“When we’re paying Dak what we’re paying him, unfortunately we do have to go cheap there.”

Catch David Moore periodically on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) during the offseason.