The Patriots are trading quarterback Joe Milton to the Dallas Cowboys, a league source confirmed Thursday morning.
The teams will also swap draft picks, with the Patriots sending a seventh-rounder in exchange for a fifth-round compensatory selection. The league this year awarded Dallas three comp picks in the fifth round, Nos. 170, 171, and 174 overall. The Patriots had three seventh-rounders at Nos. 217, 220, and 238.
The 25-year-old Milton, drafted 193rd overall in the sixth round last year, will back up Dak Prescott. He would have been the third-string quarterback in New England, behind unquestioned starter Drake Maye and veteran Josh Dobbs. The Cowboys also have 30-year-old Will Grier on their roster.
When the Patriots signed Dobbs this offseason to a two-year, $8 million contract, with $3.8 million guaranteed, Milton’s future in New England became uncertain. Not only did he not have a path to the starting job, but he also wouldn’t be the backup.
After his two-touchdown performance in Week 18 last season, Milton expressed his belief in himself and his goal to be a starting quarterback. He completed 22 of his 29 pass attempts for 241 yards, leading the Patriots to a 23-16 victory.
“I feel like today was a great step in the right direction for my development, my future itself,” Milton said after the game. “Because you never know. The full length of the average NFL career is three years. I just try to take every rep that I get, even if it’s practice or a game, just take it seriously as much as I can. Whatever it takes, whatever I got to do, I’ll do it.”
Despite his impressive showing in his NFL debut, a substantial return seemed unlikely for the Patriots because Milton was playing against reserve players in a meaningless game. Questions about his touch and ability to see the field also remained.
But Milton’s arm strength and physical traits make him an intriguing prospect, one that will now move to Dallas.
“I think Joe did everything that they asked him to do last year,” Vrabel said earlier this week in Palm Beach for the annual league meetings. “Sounds like in conversations that he worked extremely hard. And that’s tough when you’re a quarterback. Everybody wants to play. Everybody wants to be the starter. That’s great to have that attitude.”
Vrabel credited Milton for taking advantage of his opportunity in the regular-season finale, amid a difficult season, even though the win cost the Patriots the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Even with the praise, though, Vrabel indicated that the team was open to moving on from Milton.
The Patriots could have waited to strike a deal later this year, perhaps at the end of a successful preseason for Milton. But they decided to accept the Cowboys’ offer now, four days before the start of their voluntary offseason program on April 7.
The Patriots will likely add another quarterback between now and the start of the season. The organization has nine picks in this year’s draft: one first-rounder (No. 4 overall), one second-rounder (No. 38), two third-rounders (Nos. 69 and 77), one fourth-rounder (No. 106), two fifth-rounders (No. 106 and TBA), and two seventh-rounders.
Nicole Yang can be reached at [email protected] her @nicolecyang.
