The New England Patriots already knew what they had in Drake Maye. But Joe Milton III was a pleasant surprise in the regular season finale. So much so that they signed Josh Dobbs to a two-year deal this offseason in hopes of trading Milton.
I’m sure when the Patriots drafted Milton, they fully planned on flipping him for a profit, right? Well that seems to be the plan at this point. According to FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz’s X platform account, the Patriots are leaning toward trading Milton to allow him to continue to develop.
So let’s play the guessing game. Who should seriously consider trading for Milton and keep him in their back pocket for the future. I would say the Cleveland Browns should have been on that list, though their erratic move for Kenny Pickett on Tuesday pretty much makes them a non-factor.
That said, here’s who should be calling the Patriots to get a deal done for a promising quarterback prospect.
3 teams that should be eyeing Joe Milton III as the future of their franchise
3) Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams brought back Matthew Stafford under the guise that he’s on borrowed time. He’s got maybe a year or two left, realistically, before he calls it a career. And when he does decide to retire, the Rams need a contingency plan.
Milton could be just that. And imagine how Milton could develop under Sean McVay while learning from a Super Bowl champion in Stafford. Let’s not forget, Stafford spent 12 grueling seasons in Detroit.
He’s seen all sides of playing in the NFL; how to handle adversity and what it takes to win a championship. Milton couldn’t learn and develop from a better quarterback.
What makes this move a good one too is that Milton won’t have to play right away. The best situation for him right now is to land somewhere he can truly be the backup quarterback and not be called upon.
The Rams were obviously interested in bringing Stafford back, but they know there aren’t too many more years left with him at the helm. They can get their quarterback of the future now for a low cost and not have to play quarterback roulette several teams are currently playing.
2) Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders got their quarterback for the interim in Geno Smith, but they haven’t worked out a new deal yet. Which means if they do plan on keeping him around, they haven’t made that decision yet.
Just in case they don’t want to overpay for Smith at the end of the season, Milton could be a good option for them. The only down side to this move is he doesn’t necessarily get years to develop. In one year, he could be the Raiders’ starter.
That isn’t a bad thing per se, but is Milton ready to take a team from having a top 10 pick to being a playoff contender? Probably not. But the Raiders could have Milton just in case they don’t come to an agreement with Smith.
Milton looked like he has the potential to be a starter right now, but he was also facing the Buffalo Bills second unit. He could very well be a solid quarterback, I just don’t know if a year is enough time to further develop him.
1) San Francisco 49ers
This has Kyle Shanahan written all over it. The San Francisco 49ers have a decision to make with Brock Purdy. Even if they decide to pay him his worth, the one caveat is he can’t stay healthy.
That’s why the 49ers should be very interested in trading for Milton. Shanahan turned Purdy from the last pick in the NFL Draft into a franchise quarterback. He could put Milton on the same trajectory Sam Darnold’s on now.
The good thing is Milton could get the chance to play too. While I think he probably needs a few years before truly taking over, unlike with the Raiders, in San Francisco he’s in a system that would actually help him benefit from learning on the fly.
Shanahan took Jimmy Garrapolo to the Super Bowl, Purdy and now could be in the market for another project. Milton could be his next one and it could actually work out the same way it did for Purdy.