The New England Patriots enacted a major shakeup to their quarterback room in the weeks ahead of the draft on Thursday, effectively sending out 2024 sixth-rounder Joe Milton III and a seventh-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
It's a move that doesn't come as a total surprise, as the Patriots were long rumored to have interest around the league in the young quarterback's services, and with a signal caller like Drake Maye leading then charge, it made sense for New England to find a new home for Milton III, with that inevitably being the Cowboys.
However, in the process of the Patriots' decision to trade away Milton III, it came with a few interesting logistics, which inevitably led to them passing on the best offer they could've gotten for the young quarterback.
According to FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz, the Patriots had at least five teams interested in trading for him, but decided to go with the Cowboys, the team Milton III himself preferred.
"My understanding is since Joe Milton became available at the start of the offseason, teams that showed interest included the Raiders, Eagles, Giants, Steelers and the Cowboys," Schultz said. "The had a better offer for Milton but chose to send him where he wanted out of respect for him, per source."
In theory, the sentiment of sending Milton III to the best spot where he can compete, get more reps, and have a successful career is a wholesome one, and a player-favorable route to go that could lead to a better outcome for the Tennessee product moving forward. However, when that decision also becomes a detriment to the team and their team-building processes, then concerns start to develop.
Of course, it's not to say that a top-tier package of something close to a third-round pick was attainable for Milton from any front office in the NFL, and if one were to be on the table, it'd be a shock to see this Patriots front office not secure it. But, to not take advantage of the best offer on the table for a third-string quarterback to appease his situation is organizational malpractice.
This Patriots roster has an abundance of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. Entering this year's draft, New England must put itself in the best position to land top young talent to make the necessary upgrades. Yet, a decision like this shows a bit of complacency and a lack of aggression in the weeks ahead of the draft commencing later this month.
In the end, the move to trade Milton landed the Patriots the 171st-overall selection in late April, just over 20 spots ahead of where the quarterback was picked during last year's draft. Despite having the chance to get marginally more in return for the 25-year-old, this front office decided to concede in a different direction.
New England did manage to utilize their asset in Milton to better facilitate a roster for this season and onwards, but you can't help but wonder what the Patriots could've gotten without any barriers to their decision.
