There is a lot for the Patriots to look forward to this offseason despite the chaos that began with Jerod Mayo's firing. Once the head coach search is settled, which is expected to be wrapped up this week, they will head into an offseason with the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft and the league's high cap space to spend in free agency.
It couldn't happen at a better time, given the roster's state and the completion of another disappointing season. The hope is that a new regime will turn the ship around and bring the Patriots back to being competitive like the old days, and they'll have more than enough to get that going in free agency.
Besides needing to add talent to the team, they might (surprisingly) have some tradeable players to add even more draft capital to their stock.
With how Week 18 went, with Drake Maye only playing one series for the offense and Joe Milton III playing the rest of the game, New England might have accidentally shown the rest of the league their best tradeable asset ahead of the offseason, especially the draft.
The Patriots could listen to trade offers for QB Joe Milton III to add more picks to their 2025 stock
The incoming quarterback class is reportedly not one of the best, making the Patriots much luckier to have selected Maye last year. They're even more fortunate to have Milton looking impressive, too, and that could prompt teams in need to offer a trade.
Apparently, that has already happened since the rookie led the Patriots to a win against the Bills last week, at least according to The 33rd Team's Steve Palazzolo.
Hearing multiple QB-needy teams have inquired about Patriots QB Joe Milton
— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) January 6, 2025
The 2024 sixth-rounder might not garner the highest return, but because quarterbacks are not easy to find, a desperate team might be willing to give up a bit more than usual if they believe Milton could be the right guy for the job.
That could be great news for the Patriots, who plan to build their team through the draft and could receive some valuable draft picks in return for trading him.
However, retaining him is also valuable, especially since having a solid backup is vital for any franchise. The Patriots haven't always had that luxury, especially over the last few years, so it wouldn't be surprising if they chose to keep Milton for the foreseeable future. There is a reason he fell to the sixth round, after all.