Five Trade Proposals For Patriots QB Joe Milton

The Patriots doubled down on the quarterback position in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding Drake Maye No. 3 overall and Joe Milton No. 193 overall in round six. The two combined for 13 of 17 starts for New England a year ago and both are trending up after their first season.

Heading into a new regime led by HC Mike Vrabel, Maye is viewed as the franchise player with a chance to be the long-term solution for the Patriots. Although New England loves Milton as well, the addition of QB Joshua Dobbs in free agency shows they could be willing to move on from him for the right price. Previous reports confirm the Patriots have held discussions about trading Milton.

At 25 years old, Milton stood out in the draft process due to his impressive physical traits and he left a good impression on New England because of the work behind the scenes during his rookie year. Multiple teams are still in the market for a starting quarterback or quarterback depth and the remaining options in the draft and free agency are not ideal compared to other years, which could increase Milton’s market.

Here’s a look breaking down what Milton’s trade value could be and some potential landing spots for the young signal caller. 

What Should A Milton Trade Look Like?

Trying to find a direct comparison to the Milton situation is nearly impossible, as teams aren’t usually looking to trade quarterbacks with three years left on a rookie deal whose value is trending up after their rookie season.

Complicating the situation even further, Milton only made one start in his rookie year which came in Week 18 against the Bills. Although many in the Patriots’ organization speak highly of him, he has a nearly non-existent sample size and other teams haven’t had the chance to see him up close like New England, which might cause a difference in opinion on value.

It’s unlikely that any team will trade for Milton and outright hand him the starting job, but having three years of a promising quarterback on a cheap rookie deal should allow the Patriots to get more than the initial sixth-round pick they used to take Milton.

To get an idea of what a return could resemble, here are some quarterbacks who were traded on their rookie deals since 2021.

2024: Packers traded 2025 7th for QB Malik Willis

• Willis was entering his third NFL season
• Stock was trending way down after not getting any starts in his second year as a third-round pick
• Traded to be a clear long-term backup with QB Jordan Love already established

2024: Commanders traded 2024 3rd (No. 78) and 2024 5th (No. 152) for QB Sam Howell, 2024 4th (No. 102) and 2024 6th (No. 179)

• Howell was entering his third NFL season
• Stock was trending even at best for a fifth-round pick after starting all 17 games in 2023 and throwing a league-leading 21 interceptions
• Joined as backup to QB Geno Smith who had back-to-back strong breakout seasons as the starter

2023: Cowboys traded 2024 4th (No. 124) for QB Trey Lance

• Lance was entering his third NFL season
• Stock was trending way down after only making eight starts in two years despite being selected third overall
• Was set as the backup with QB Dak Prescott already established

2021: Eagles traded 2022 6th (No. 197) for QB Gardner Minshew

• Minshew was entering his third NFL season
• Stock was trending slightly up after making 20 starts in two years as a sixth-round pick
• Gave Philadelphia another young QB option while Jalen Hurts looked to prove himself in his first full year starting

None of these trades perfectly depict the situation in New England as all were traded with just two years of a rookie contract left. Minshew was the only other player trending up at the time of the trade but his value was increased mostly due to proven stability relative to his late-draft status.

Although Lance and Milton were taken at opposite ends of their classes and were trending in different directions, his trade return is the most sensible for this situation. A mid-fourth-round pick value return for a toolsy quarterback on a controllable contract seems like a reasonable range for Milton.

With Milton’s high ceiling and the Patriots’ great regard for him, it’s likely something in the realm of a fourth to fifth-round pick value will be realistic for a trade return. New England might have some urgency to move him since his value isn’t likely to get much higher with them, but it’s very possible they could opt to keep him another year if the offers aren’t enticing enough.

Potential Landing Spots

Cleveland Browns

Trade Package: 2025 4th (No. 104) for Milton, 2026 5th

The Browns are one of four teams without a clear starting quarterback at this point in the offseason. Their only quarterback under contract as of now is Kenny Pickett, who was acquired for a fifth-round pick and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Cleveland has been linked to Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins if he’s released and they also have the No. 2 overall pick. However, they are likely to add two more quarterbacks this offseason as Deshaun Watson recovers from a torn Achilles.

With the futures of HC Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry in doubt past this season, the Browns probably won’t be willing to bank their season solely on Milton. If they opt against taking a quarterback with the second overall pick, adding Milton along with a veteran like Cousins or Carson Wentz would be a decent solution that gives them an experienced option and a high-upside project. 

New York Giants

Trade Package: 2025 4th (No. 105) for Milton, 2026 5th

The Giants are another team without a starting quarterback as of now and they are not in a position to take one of the top draft options at No. 3 overall. New York brought in Jameis Winston and re-signed Tommy DeVito, meaning they are probably only adding one more quarterback this offseason.

Giants HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen are also in a must-win season to retain their jobs and seemingly would prefer Wilson or Aaron Rodgers to maximize their roster in 2025. Should they miss out on these two and decide against moving up into the top two of the draft, adding Milton would give them a bridge option in Winston and a younger player who can develop and possibly take over at some point in the year.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Trade Package: 2025 4th (No. 123)

The final team on this list without a starting quarterback as of now is the Steelers, who continue to wait on a decision from Rodgers. Pittsburgh brought back Mason Rudolph but he currently is the only quarterback under contract for 2025 and viewed as a stable backup option.

The Steelers met with Alabama QB Jalen Milroe before his Pro Day, and he’s a player who is similar to Milton as a project-type player with a high ceiling because of his physical traits. If Pittsburgh is interested in Milton in the first two rounds, it would make sense that they could be intrigued by acquiring another young option for less draft capital.

While Cleveland and New York would probably bring Milton in with a chance to see legitimate playing time in 2025, Pittsburgh could sign Rodgers or Wilson while also trading for Milton as someone who could develop for beyond this season.

Dallas Cowboys

Trade Package: 2025 5th (No. 171) and 2025 5th (No. 174)

Moving onto teams without a need for a starter, the Cowboys were named as a team to watch for Milton by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Longtime backup QB Cooper Rush signed with Baltimore this offseason, leaving them with just Dak Prescott and Will Grier as quarterbacks on the roster.

The Lance trade to Dallas was mentioned earlier in this article for reference of what compensation might look like, but it also shows why the Cowboys could be interested in Milton. With Prescott projected to take up at least 17 percent of the cap for the next four years, adding another high-upside player on a rookie deal makes sense to offset the cost.

In what’s presumed to be a weaker quarterback class, Dallas would probably have to use a top-100 pick to bring in talent with upside who can back up Prescott for the near future. Instead, the Cowboys could look to use two of their three fifth-round picks to get a player with more potential than almost every option in this class.

The biggest caveat with a potential trade to Dallas is Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz’s comments about New England wanting Milton to go “to the right situation to continue his development.” If the Patriots truly operate by that thinking, it would be surprising to see them move him somewhere he has little chance to play unless the offer was too good to pass.

Los Angeles Rams

Trade Package: 2024 4th (No. 127)

Following the saga with QB Matthew Stafford this offseason, it’s clear the Rams will be moving on from the veteran at some point in the near future. Thus, it would make sense for them to try to add somebody who can develop on the roster as a succession option whenever the two sides cannot align on a contract.

Taking a quarterback in the early portions of the draft would be a good way to add a young, talented player but they probably want to maximize the roster around Stafford with their high picks while he’s still around. Instead of using one of their first selections on a quarterback in a weaker class, Los Angeles could look to bring in Milton as someone who could take over as soon as next year.

As long as they keep Stafford on the roster, the team will not be able to put all their efforts toward contending while also trying to find the next franchise quarterback. Trading for Milton would give them a high-upside option who would ideally spend another year developing in a great environment and then take over for the final two seasons on his rookie deal.