The Dallas Cowboys are making a change to their quarterback room, acquiring New England Patriots second-year pro Joe Milton III in a trade.
The Cowboys needed to move back two rounds to acquire Milton, giving up a fifth-round pick and taking back a selection in the seventh round.
The Athletic contributor Jeff Howe was a fan of the move for the Cowboys, giving the team a “B” in his grade.
“Milton is a lottery ticket. He played well in limited opportunities as a rookie, notably in the preseason and the final game of the year when he went 22-of-29 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown with another score on the ground in a 23-16 win over Buffalo,” Howe writes.
“Milton, who has one of the strongest arms in the league, will have time to develop behind Prescott in Dallas, so there will be minimal pressure in terms of expectations as long as Prescott stays healthy.”
Milton is set to be Dak Prescott’s primary backup, but as last season evidenced, that’s a role where the Cowboys need someone talented. Milton can be that talented player learning behind Prescott.
The move also allows the Cowboys to target other positions in the draft. They probably didn’t like any of the quarterback prospects on Day 3 more than Milton, so a trade with the Pats is a good move that gives them more flexibility to work with in the draft later this month.
Milton will report to the Cowboys as soon as he can, where he will look to continue his development in hopes of potentially becoming Dallas’ top quarterback someday.
