Despite their overwhelming amount of cap space to use this offseason and their desirable draft positioning, the Patriots don't have many players on the current roster that will draw a lot of interest from teams looking to make a trade. Instead, the players teams will be calling about, which some did even last season, are considered off-limits, which doesn't help their dire need for a roster turnaround.
Besides the likes of CB Christian Gonzalez, QB Drake Maye, and maybe even special teamer Brenden Schooler, one player has risen in the ranks with an impressive Week 18 performance, prompting a lot of debate about his potential availability on the trade block.
It has been reported this offseason that there will likely be teams calling New England about quarterback Joe Milton III, especially since he played so well against the Bills in the Patriots season finale game.
In last year's draft, he was an interesting pick for the new regime since they had already added Drake Maye in Round 1 and signed veteran Jacoby Brissett, which limited his opportunities to get on the field as a rookie. But now that the incoming draft class is far from deep or impressive, Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard believes Milton could be shipped off in a trade sooner rather than later.
Joe Milton III might be the Patriots most desirable trade option this offseason
In an article published last week, Bedard revealed insight regarding the possibility that the new regime in Foxboro could be willing to trade Milton to a quarterback-needy team ahead of the draft.
Because there are a handful of teams who need a new franchise player, but the incoming rookies are not highly regarded, many will either miss out on the best of the group or might willingly pass on who's available in hopes of landing a better player in free agency/via trade or in next year's draft.
“I thought the Patriots would hold off on entertaining a trade of Joe Milton, who was drafted in the sixth round (193rd overall) last year, for at least another season, but there’s increasing belief around the NFL that the Patriots are at least contemplating a trade of Milton this offseason.
Again, I’m not saying he’s on the block right now, but the Patriots will likely consider it when everything settles with the front office and coaching staff.”
While it's far from guaranteed, trading Milton to a team that could actually use him as a starter while simultaneously receiving some draft capital in return sounds like a win/win situation for all parties.
It would rid the Patriots of a solid backup, as Maye is the only one under contract for the 2025 season. But Vrabel might decide a veteran is better suited for that role due to Maye's inexperience and will look for the right guy in free agency.
That might be the best-case scenario for the Patriots if they hope to add more picks to their draft this year, and it does Milton a favor by giving him a proper chance to live his dream in the NFL.
More Patriots news and analysis:
https://bostonsportsjournal.com/2025/01/30/bedard-parting-patriots-thoughts-and-insight-on-possible-milton-trade-front-office-dynamics-and-more