The New England Patriots have been making a splash in free agency. The team has spent heavy money to address areas on both sides of the ball as new head coach Mike Vrabel continues to settle in.
It appears the Patriots are confident to roll with quarterback Drake Maye, but the pecking order behind him remains unknown. New England signed Joshua Dobbs in free agency to a two-year, $8 million deal.
It’s a good move for a team that might need a backup quarterback, but the thing is, the team was thought to already have one in Joe Milton III. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and made quite the impression in his lone start.
In Week 18, Milton logged 241 passing yards, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown while completing 22 of his 29 passes as the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 23-16.
Signing Dobbs could mean one of two things: New England does not feel comfortable just yet listing Milton as its No. 2 quarterback, or it wants a battle for the position between Milton and Dobbs with hopes that it improves both players before the start of the new season.
If Milton does fall down the pecking order to third-string, there are chances he may seek a trade and have a handful of potential suitors.
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan predicts Milton can continue the falling quarterback dominoes in the offseason.
Some of the teams that might show interest in the second-year pro include the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Dallas Cowboys.
The Browns, Steelers, and Giants make sense for Milton if he wants to go to a team where he can most likely compete for a No. 1 or No. 2 spot on the roster. As for the Raiders, Rams, and Cowboys, Milton will be acquired as a prospect with hopes that he can learn behind veteran quarterbacks Geno Smith, Matthew Stafford, and Dak Prescott.
The Patriots have not yet said if they plan on exploring trades for Milton, but after impressing in his only start last season, he has certainly caught the eyes of other teams.
