The New England Patriots have been one of the most active teams this offseason. Mike Vrabel became the head coach and made it a priority to surround Drake Maye with as much talent as possible.
That's why New England sent Joe Milton III and a seventh-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick in April.
At first, fans were confused why the team moved on from Milton III for a Day 3 pick but a recent report revealed some behind-the-scenes details of why the Pats moved on, and they aren't pretty for Milton III.
In an appearance on the Patriots Press Pass, Greg A. Bedard said Milton III was described by someone in the organization as "not a good dude."
Bedard also said, "Knowing your role, playing your role, being part of a harmonious quarterback room — that was going to be an issue. It wasn’t about Drake Maye. It was just about the room.”
Milton III reportedly was the cause of many problems last season. Drake Maye and his family allegedly didn't like that New England took Milton III in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. They also didn't know when the team gave Milton III significant playing time in the season finale in Week 18.
The Pats made the decision to boost Milton III's trade value in that showing, but regardless, Maye wasn't a fan of the move. Maye and his family haven't made any public statements about this. Despite that, it makes sense from the outside looking in.
The Pats made it their mission to build the team around Maye, and that's the right choice considering he was the third overall pick. While he's clearly the franchise QB, he didn't like the fact that Milton III was over his shoulder.
The vibes in the quarterback room could have been off, and New England didn't want to keep that going in 2025. Only one source called Milton III "not a good dude", so we need to take that with a grain of salt, but it isn't a positive report for his case.
The Tennessee product has a rocket of an arm with the athleticism to make plays with his legs. In his lone start, Milton III went 22-of-29 for 241 yards and one passing touchdown. He showed a lot of promise in that game, and the Cowboys are thrilled to snag him. In the same breath, it sounds like Maye is happy he's gone.