The New England Patriots shook up their quarterback room on Thursday by trading second-year signal-caller Joe Milton III to the Dallas Cowboys.
It wasn't the trade that surprised people as much as the compensation the Patriots got in return for the quarterback. New England shipped Milton and a seventh-round draft pick to the Cowboys in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
There has been trade talk surrounding Milton throughout the offseason with the belief that the Patriots might net a fourth or even third-round draft pick for the promising young quarterback.
The fact that they only got a fifth-rounder in return, along with giving up a seventh-round pick, is significantly less than a third-round pick straight up for the player. Granted, it's still a small win considering they drafted Milton with a sixth-round pick in 2024.
Here's how the NFL world reacted to the trade on social media:
The #Patriots return for Joe Milton III was fine.
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) April 3, 2025
Maye is the guy, Dobbs is a veteran who knows he’s the backup, and you upgrade your 7th to a 5th in exchange for someone would have been inactive for a majority of the season anyway.
They were never getting much more back. pic.twitter.com/jocvc2Uu7T
"Joe Milton can throw it a country mile and he has incredible athleticism..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 3, 2025
Maybe the Patriots can bundle some picks and get back up into the first or second round" @BostonConnr#PMSLivehttps://t.co/oBTGNZ31BJpic.twitter.com/cr86vBGvQk
Patriots fans thought Milton was worth a top 60 pick just a week ago.
— Joe (@JoeA_NFL) April 3, 2025
Honestly, if this is all you're getting, it's not even worth trading him. https://t.co/U8eMAZMGQg
Explains the timing
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 3, 2025
From a #Patriots perspective, increasing Milton’s trade value over the summer would’ve been ideal, but sounds like NE did right by the player https://t.co/Z6n8HmxHNt
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