The New England Patriots came into the offseason with plenty of assets to improve after a disappointing 4-13 campaign. They had $127 million in cap space entering free agency. They were set to enter next month’s draft with nine draft picks. They even had a change on the sidelines, replacing first-year head coach Jerod Mayo with Mike Vrabel.
But few bargaining chips were as important as Joe Milton. A promising player in a quarterback market short on options, Milton represented a way to acquire another premium asset to continue to build their roster. Instead, the Patriots made a middling trade, sending Milton and a seventh-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-rounder in next month’s draft according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
The deal removes a potential problem as ESPN’s Mike Reiss states it clears the way for Drake Maye to be the franchise quarterback with the recently signed Joshua Dobbs behind him. But it also puts a questionable front office strategy into the spotlight as executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf enters his second season.
Joe Milton Trade Signals Questionable Patriots Draft Strategy
Milton was one of the biggest low-risk, high-reward prospects in last year’s draft. The 25-year-old didn’t put up eye-popping numbers at Tennessee, throwing for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions during his final year with the Volunteers in 2023. But he had a big arm and enticing traits that made him a typical late-round target.
The Patriots pulled the trigger by taking Milton in the sixth round (193rd overall) and stashed him behind Jacoby Brissett and Maye. Brissett started the season before Maye took over but Milton got his chance in the regular season finale, completing 22-of-29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown during a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.
The game was meaningless as Buffalo played their backups ahead of a playoff run. But it mattered to Milton, who parlayed the performance into a new opportunity. It also had significance to the Patriots, who reportedly asked for a third-round pick in exchange for Milton according to Tony Grossi of The Land On Demand and 850 ESPN in Cleveland.
In the end, the Patriots didn’t get close, which makes you wonder what the plan for Milton was in the first place. If Wolfe wanted to “clear the runway” for Maye, who was the third overall pick in last year’s draft, why was Milton in the same quarterback room? And why didn’t the Patriots use that pick on another position to help a team that was severely short-handed last season?
It’s also interesting that the Patriots didn’t think to just hold on to Milton as an insurance policy in case Maye gets hurt or becomes a bust. Brissett and Maye both were injured when Milton got his Week 18 start and it may have been wise to keep him around – especially for a franchise that watched Tom Brady take over for an injured Drew Bledsoe.
It’s the end of a bizarre saga, which gives Milton a new opportunity and the Patriots an underwhelming return.