It seemed during the NFL owners meetings that the New England Patriots would hold onto backup quarterback Joe Milton III through the upcoming draft that wraps up on April 26, in part because they allegedly wanted a third-round pick in return for his services.
Thus, many members of the football community were shocked to learn ahead of this past weekend that New England had agreed to trade Milton and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys in return for a 2025 fifth-round selection. On Sunday, ESPN's Mike Reiss addressed why the Patriots didn't wait to move on from Milton after he impressed in a Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills this past January.
"Milton looked like an asset at the game's most important position following his season-ending performance in a win over the Bills (playing mostly backups)," Reiss wrote, "especially considering Drake Maye was twice evaluated for concussions in games last season. The timing, according to a source familiar with the team's thinking, wasn't a coincidence. Monday marks the start of the team's voluntary program, and [new head coach Mike Vrabel] views that as a meaningful checkpoint in the process of establishing team culture and the dynamic that ideally unfolds within each position group."
Milton became the subject of trade rumors after he completed 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown against Buffalo, as it was clear even before the hiring of Vrabel that individuals within the Patriots view Maye as their long-term QB1. New England signed Joshua Dobbs this offseason to serve as Maye's primary backup, and Milton will now look to continue his development working with Dallas starter Dak Prescott.
"The Cowboys didn’t trade for Milton because he’s expected to be their franchise quarterback," Jon Machota of The Athletic said for a piece published Monday. "They made the move because backup quarterback Cooper Rush signed with the Baltimore Ravens and it was time to go younger at the position behind franchise QB Dak Prescott. ...This move likely had a lot to do with what the Cowboys think of this year’s quarterback draft class. They never had plans of using a Day 1 or Day 2 pick on a quarterback. They’re paying Prescott $60M per season. But they were expected to look at the position on Day 3. They could still use a late-round pick on a quarterback or sign one as an undrafted free agent, but it’s no longer necessary."
Prescott is just 31 years old, so there's no reason to believe he could lose his starting job to Milton anytime soon. Nevertheless, Dallas will likely be viewed as the big winner of this trade if Milton helps the club win even one meaningful game or if the Cowboys are later able to get a high-value draft pick in return for the 25-year-old at some point down the road.
