The New England Patriots are fully committed to Drake Maye as their franchise quarterback. This was further reaffirmed by the team's decision to trade development project Joe Milton III.
Milton was never going to unseat Maye in the driver's seat. One was the No. 3 overall pick with every intangible needed to be successful. The other was a sixth-rounder with physical upside but severe problems to figure out before getting significant responsibilities under center.
As it turned out, the new regime led by head coach Mike Vrabel wanted to make him surplus to requirements much sooner than expected. That removes any element of doubt if Maye goes through any rough patches.
The Patriots found plenty of suitors for Milton on the trade market. They eventually dealt him to the Dallas Cowboys with minimal compensation attached.
New England has another fifth-round pick to spend. They sent Milton and a seventh-rounder to the Cowboys as part of the deal. The former Tennessee star will now look to develop under Dallas' new coaching staff and learn from veteran Dak Prescott over the next three years.
The Cowboys will probably make use of Milton's outstanding physical attributes in specific packages, but he won't see the field prominently unless Prescott succumbs to injury. As for the Patriots, they're comfortable having veteran Joshua Dobbs back up Maye as the North Carolina graduate looks to build on an immensely positive first season in the pros.
Patriots did right by Joe Milton III despite better trade offers on the table
There was also some sentiment attached to New England's thought process. Jordan Schultz from FOX Sports stated that the Patriots had a better offer on the table for Milton. They did right by the player instead, sending him to the Cowboys for less than the going rate.
Schultz also revealed that the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers were the other teams that inquired about Milton. The Patriots missed the chance for a bidding war in pursuit of extracting maximum value for the signal-caller. However, they cannot be criticized for showing some compassion that is seldom seen around the league.
Milton has a lot of hard work ahead. There is no pressure to make an immediate contribution. This is all about progressing his poise, his ability to go through progressions, and to develop the sustainable tools that stand the test of time in the NFL. If it doesn't work out, it didn't cost the Cowboys much to find out one way or the other.
Maye is the present and the future. He's the heir apparent to Tom Brady at long last. That's a lot of pressure to place on someone with one year of experience, but everything is set up for him to succeed.
- Joe Milton trade grade: B
Those plans didn't include Milton, but the dual-threat weapon can have no complaints about his eventual destination.