There are always going to be mixed reactions when it comes to adding a quarterback to any roster, no matter the cost. The Dallas Cowboys added former New England Patriots draft pick Joe Milton in a pretty shocking trade with Dallas sending a 5th-round pick to New England and also getting a 7th-round pick back.
It's still a pretty substantial price to pay for a backup quarterback but it might end up being a very worthwhile risk for the Cowboys, who tried something similar a couple of years ago when they traded for Trey Lance and all of his tantalizing traits.
Milton has traits in spades. He's got an absolute cannon, which drew some of the loudest applause you'll ever hear from those in attendance at the NFL Scouting combine. He's big, he's athletic, and he put all of those traits on display in a Week 18 win for the Patriots over the Buffalo Bills.
As you might expect given all of that, there was actually quite a bit of competition for Milton's services in trade talks with the Patriots. The latest details to emerge paint the Cowboys in a very positive light.
Joe Milton chose Cowboys over other interested teams, including Eagles
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.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 3, 2025
The #Patriots had a better offer for Milton but chose to send him where he wanted out of respect for… https://t.co/kNDFPA4yem pic.twitter.com/iHKhmhRsCv
For those keeping score at home, that's 3/4 teams in the NFC East that wanted to acquire Milton in a trade, and he preferred to go to Dallas. The Patriots "did right" by the player, sending him where he wanted to go, despite the fact that they had a better offer elsewhere.
Good for the Patriots.
While nothing is going to trump the Eagles' Super Bowl victory, this can be chalked up as a nice, underrated offseason win for the Cowboys over a couple of division rivals. Getting a quarterback who has three years left on a rookie deal with nice upside instead of letting a division rival get him is not a small deal.
Especially in the context of the Cowboys beating out the Giants for Milton, where he might have had an even better chance to play in the near future.
In Dallas, Milton now has a clear path to being the team's QB2 behind Dak Prescott. And if last year showed us anything, it's that Milton is going to have a decent shot at playing this coming season. We all hope Prescott is able to stay on the field, but the backup quarterback position in the NFL has been utilized way more frequently in recent years (it seems) and teams have to be ready.
In the 2023 season alone, 67 different quarterbacks started games for teams around the league.
Milton parlayed his strong finish to the 2024 season into a little leverage to pick his next NFL destination, something not a lot of second-year players who were sixth-round picks the year before are able to do. This could end up being a really underrated addition for the Cowboys in the long run.