For the second straight offseason, the New England Patriots are entering a new era. Bill Belichick’s retirement followed by the hiring of Jarod Mayo was the biggest headline of the 2024 offseason for New England but after a 3-14 season, the Patriots made another change, firing Mayo and hiring Mike Vrabel to lead them into 2025.
Vrabel’s successful track record with the Tennessee Titans should mean better things for New England in the long run but he inherits an interesting quarterback situation ahead of next year. Drake Maye made the Pro Bowl after being selected with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft and is fully entrenched as the Patriots’ quarterback of the future.
But an offseason prediction shows the Patriots may be willing to shake up the quarterback room and it may be another 2024 draft pick that is on the move to a divisional rival.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz dropped an article with his boldest offseason moves ahead of the NFL Draft and free agency and suggested that the Patriots should consider Joe Milton III this offseason.
Schatz cites the weak quarterback class in the 2025 draft as a reason to shop Milton and it could provide an opportunity to sell high after his impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18.
“If New England can turn three more years of a sixth-round pick into four more years of a third or fourth-round pick, that’s usually going to be a win for the roster,” Schatz wrote. “Especially when the only playing time Milton had during the regular season was a finale game against backups because the Patriots already have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye.”
Selling high on Milton sounds like a good idea. A sixth-round pick in last year’s draft, Milton was old for a prospect at 24 years old and was coming off an inconsistent college career at Michigan and Tennessee. While he has a rocket for an arm, his accuracy can come and go leading to white-hot stretches and mind-numbing mistakes.
Milton produced the former during the finale against the Bills, completing 75.9% of his passes for 241 yards and a touchdown and now may be the time to see if there is a suitor in case he cools off during the preseason.
While no team would be looking to make Milton their starter, they could look to acquire him as a backup which leads to a potential tie to the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa as their franchise quarterback but his injury history necessitates the need for a high-end backup quarterback. When Tua missed six games this season due to concussions, the Dolphins went 2-4 in his absence, turning the keys over to Tyler “Snoop” Huntley (829 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions) and Skyler Thompson (187 scoreless yards in three games).
Milton isn’t guaranteed to be an upgrade on those options, but the key is that the Patriots can pitch him as one right now. If the Patriots can get the Dolphins to bite for a 2025 fourth- or fifth-round pick, Schatz’s evaluation as “a win” would be correct and New England can sell high on a stock that could fall as soon as next preseason.