<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-mike-vrabel-reveals-real-reason-traded-joe-milton');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mike Vrabel reveals real reason Patriots traded Joe Milton');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Joe-Milton-with-the-Patriots.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mike Vrabel reveals real reason Patriots traded Joe Milton</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-15T19:40:49-07:00">April 15th, 7:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-15T19:40:49-07:00">April 15th, 7:40pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cowboys-news-dak-prescott-new-backup-patriots-trade">New England Patriots’ decision to trade away Joe Milton</a> wasn’t particularly surprising, as he was one of the most in-demand backup quarterbacks in the NFL, what did turn more than a few heads was the price the Dallas Cowboys surrendered, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/why-patriots-joe-milton-trade-underwhelming-grade">giving up just a 2025 fifth-round pick</a> for the Tennessee QB and a seventh-rounder.</p><p>What gives? How did Milton, who looked like a rising star in his incredible Week 18 effort last fall, command a return so far from expectations? Well, Mike Vrabel was asked that very question during his press conference on Tuesday and <a href="https://www.patriots.com/news/transcript-head-coach-mike-vrabel-press-conference-4-15" rel="noopener">explained the rationale behind the decision</a>.</p><p>On one hand, Vrabel is correct: it’s hard to imagine a world where Milton would get enough snaps to keep up his development if he began the season as a reserve. The Patriots also probably wouldn’t have signed Dobbs if they believed they could do right by their former backup quarterback at practice and in the preseason either, which is why Dobbs came to town.</p><p>And yet, Milton is a very interesting player with elite athletic tools and a growth mentality. Giving up such a player for a fifth-round pick when he cost a sixth-round pick to acquire just the year prior? Well goodness, New England probably wouldn’t have accepted that deal during the 2024 NFL Draft and thus shouldn’t have mere months after one of the best performances of last season.</p><p>Will Milton become a serious player for the Cowboys in 2025 or beyond? Probably not unless Prescott is unable to play for the team for one reason or another. But now, that’s no longer the Patriots’ concern, as they have a chance to draft another player, quarterback or otherwise, in the fifth round and will get to see what the Cowboys can do with their former backup for the next three years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mike Vrabel reveals real reason Patriots traded Joe Milton

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/why-patriots-joe-milton-trade-underwhelming-grade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Patriots’ Joe Milton trade deserves underwhelming grade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Joe-Milton.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Patriots’ Joe Milton trade deserves underwhelming grade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T04:59:05-07:00">April 4th, 4:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T04:59:05-07:00">April 4th, 4:59am</time><address><a>Conor Roche</a>Conor Roche is a sports journalist that has covered Boston sports for a few years and has worked on the Patriots beat since the 2022 season.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New England Patriots shipped out a quarterback on Thursday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/cowboys-news-dak-prescott-new-backup-patriots-trade">trading Joe Milton to the Dallas Cowboys</a> as they continue to remake their roster under Mike Vrabel. New England received Dallas’ 2025 fifth-round pick as part of the deal (No. 149) while also surrendering a seventh-round pick (No. 217 overall) in the upcoming NFL Draft.</p><p>Milton essentially redshirted his rookie season in 2024 until the final week, playing the vast majority of snaps in the Patriots’ Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. As that marked his first official NFL action, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-eagles-steelers-raiders-teams-interest-patriots-qb-trade">Milton’s play earned him some praise</a>, with some wondering if his ceiling was higher than expected when the Patriots elected him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.</p><p>That question wasn’t likely to be answered <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-josh-mcdaniels-honest-building-offense-drake-maye">in New England with Drake Maye in place</a> as the team’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future and with the signing of Joshua Dobbs in March, Milton became expendable. Now, Milton will wait for his chance behind Dak Prescott in Dallas.</p><p>But let’s look at this trade from a Patriots lens.</p><h2><b>Grading the Joe Milton trade for the Patriots</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Joe-Milton_f66a36.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When the news broke Thursday that Milton had been moved for a fifth-round pick, the value seemed right. Milton was a sixth-round pick a year ago whose only NFL experience was playing in a glorified preseason game against the Bills’ second- and third-stringers, with Buffalo looking like it was outtanking New England that day.</p><p>So, from a value standpoint, the deal makes sense. But when you’re trading a second-year quarterback who has shown some decent upside, you should be looking to get more than fair value in a potential trade. The Patriots were under no edict to move Milton, even if they had signed Dobbs earlier in the offseason, and Maye was set to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback for the long haul. He’s under contract for the next three seasons, giving New England a cheap backup option.</p><p>Admittedly, I don’t view Milton in the highest regard. The Patriots’ selection of Milton and forcing him onto the roster despite an underwhelming training camp and preseason didn’t make much sense at the time.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Joe Milton is balling in his debut! 48-yard TD pass to Boutte!</p><p>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BUFvsNE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BUFvsNE</a> on CBS/Paramount+<br>📱: <a href="https://t.co/waVpO909ge">https://t.co/waVpO909ge</a> <a href="https://t.co/u2W48Voqvr">pic.twitter.com/u2W48Voqvr</a></p><p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1875977181375139881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>However, Milton showed he could at least hang in the NFL in his Week 18 performance against the Bills. His dual-threat ability was on full display, as he threw for 241 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score, making several plays with his arm and legs in that game. He showed far more talent at that position than many other backup quarterbacks the Patriots have had in recent years.</p><p>Which is why the Patriots shouldn’t have traded Milton at all unless an offer wowed them. It feels more likely that Milton would’ve made a more notable contribution to New England in 2025 had he stayed than whatever player the Patriots selected with the fifth-round pick. Yes, Maye is the Patriots’ starting quarterback, but it’s hard not to envision a scenario where New England will need to call on its backup at some point this season, considering that Maye was sidelined due to injury in two games last season.</p><p>Furthermore, the Patriots <a href="https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/1907809290015973677" rel="noopener">also left some draft capital on the table</a> <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-why-patriots-made-cowboys-trade-better-offer">in order to trade Milton to his preferred team</a>, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Why is a second-year player dictating trades for you?</p><p>This really isn’t good roster management by the Patriots, even if the move improved their draft stock.</p><p><b>Grade: D</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Patriots’ Joe Milton trade deserves underwhelming grade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-rumors-joe-milton-iii-trade-block-veteran-qb-signing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots rumors: Joe Milton III on trade block after veteran QB signing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Patriots-rumors-Joe-Milton-III-on-trade-block-after-veteran-QB-signing.jpg"></figure><h1>Patriots rumors: Joe Milton III on trade block after veteran QB signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-10T19:40:57-07:00">March 10th, 7:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-10T19:40:57-07:00">March 10th, 7:40pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/patriots-news-new-england-gives-1-pick-titans-win-over-bills">Joe Milton III went out and torched the Buffalo Bills</a> in Week 18 of the 2024 season, completing 22 of his 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, it turned heads around the NFL.</p><p>Now sure, plenty of people around the NFL linked Milton coming out of college at Tennessee, as he had a notoriously strong cannon for an arm, but he was drafted in the sixth round for a reason, to a team that already picked a QB third overall no less. But Milton was chucking bombs, threading the needle, and running around behind the line of scrimmage looking for things to develop down the field, leading some to wonder if a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-rumors-patriots-joe-milton-trade-interest-week-18-outburst">QB-needy team could make a call about his services</a>.</p><p>Well, according to FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz, the answer to that question is yes, as there have been teams that have contacted New England about his availability. But will a deal happen? <a href="https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/1899265330649907500" rel="noopener">That depends on if the right deal comes along</a>.</p><p>On the one hand, bringing in Josh Dobbs does free things up for a Milton deal, as his draft stock is easily worth more than the Patriots’ initial investment, but what happens if Maye is injured or, worse, regresses as a second-year player? Would New England be willing to say goodbye to a player other teams believe could be a franchise guy when they are so early in their own rebuild?</p><p>If the Patriots are offered an early Day 3 pick for Milton, they will probably take it, as even New England knows they can’t really develop two quarterbacks at once if one is forced to ride the bench all season. Fortunately, if the Patriots do decide to make Milton available, they will unquestionably receive the sort of offers that make a move worth their while, as that one game turned a lot of heads, rightfully or not.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Patriots rumors: Joe Milton III on trade block after veteran QB signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl-rumors-patriots-joe-milton-trade-interest-week-18-outburst');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Patriots already getting Joe Milton trade interest after Week 18 outburst');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Patriots-already-getting-Joe-Milton-trade-interest-after-Week-18-outburst-1.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Patriots already getting Joe Milton trade interest after Week 18 outburst</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-06T14:21:27-08:00">January 6th, 2:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-06T14:21:27-08:00">January 6th, 2:21pm</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s hard to imagine the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/patriots-news-robert-kraft-takes-responsibility-jerod-mayo">New England Patriots bungling things any worse</a> than only giving Jerod Mayo one year with little talent on the roster. But owner Robert Kraft tried to smooth the waters <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/patriots-news-robert-kraft-optimistic-take-drake-maye-joe-milton-iii">by glowing about his quarterbacks</a>. However, the Patriots may get swept away as they are getting Joe Milton III trade interest after his Week 18 outburst.</p><p>Milton passed for a touchdown and ran for another in his professional debut, leading the Patriots to a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills that cost New England the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Shortly after the game, Kraft fired Mayo.</p><p>Milton connected on 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He also carried 10 times for 16 yards and a touchdown.</p><h2><b>Patriots QB Joe Milton authors impressive debut</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Patriots-already-getting-Joe-Milton-trade-interest-after-Week-18-outburst.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Teams <a href="https://x.com/StevePalazzolo_/status/1876316683067138118" rel="noopener">are flocking to</a> the Patriots’ door, according to a post on X by Steve Palazzolo.</p><p>Hearing multiple QB-needy teams have inquired about Patriots QB Joe Milton</p><p>Back in November, Mayo said Milton <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news/new-england-patriots-jerod-mayo-raves-joe-milton#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHe's%20one%20of%20those%20guys,Bernd%20Buchmasser%20of%20Pats%20Pulpit." rel="noopener">showed plenty during practices</a>, according to Sports Illustrated.</p><p>“He’s one of those guys that has to steal reps,” Mayo said of Milton, via Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit. “Drake’s getting a lot of those reps, and he’s running the show team and doing a great job there. We also have a period at the end of practice where it’s just, ‘Call it and go,’ like five or six plays. He’s getting better every day, and again — going back to stealing reps — he’s one of the top users of the virtual reality system.”</p><p>Milton came into the league off a good season at the University of Tennessee. He threw for 2,813 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions in his last year with the Volunteers. He stands 6-foot-5, weighs 245 pounds, and has one of the strongest — if not the strongest — arms in the NFL.</p><p>Back in the preseason, Mayo said <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otGFf7vp-Sw" rel="noopener">the talent is there</a>, according to a post on YouTube by the Patriots.</p><p>“We know he has a big arm,” Mayo said. “He has the athleticism. He’s getting better with his reads every single day. He has natural leadership ability.</p><p>“But once again … it’s about the full body of work. You can come out here and play well but you also have to do it on a day-to-day basis. You’ve got to gain the confidence of not only the coaches but also your teammates. And this was a step forward for him.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Patriots already getting Joe Milton trade interest after Week 18 outburst

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/patriots-news-robert-kraft-optimistic-take-drake-maye-joe-milton-iii');   ga('set', 'title', 'Patriots’ Robert Kraft drops optimistic take on Drake Maye, Joe Milton III');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Patriots-news-Robert-Kraft-drops-optimistic-take-on-Drake-Maye-Joe-Milton-III.jpg"></figure><h1>Patriots’ Robert Kraft drops optimistic take on Drake Maye, Joe Milton III</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-06T11:00:53-08:00">January 6th, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-06T11:00:53-08:00">January 6th, 11:00am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 23-16 to fall out of the number one pick in the draft. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/patriots-news-new-england-fires-jerod-mayo-disastrous-season">Head coach Jerod Mayo was fired</a> after the game after just one season at the helm. Despite the disastrous four-win season, there is hope for the Patriots at quarterback with Drake Maye. Owner Robert Kraft <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1876331979110769033" rel="noopener">made a joke about</a> Joe Milton III, who played well in Sunday’s win with Maye out.</p><p>Wrapping up his presser, Patriots owner Robert Kraft answers a question about the front office and roster by smirking as he says: “‘It looks like we lucked out — we maybe have two quarterbacks,'” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. “Drake Maye and Joe Milton III, in their own ways, made quite a first impression.”</p><p>Milton was drafted in the sixth round last year out of the University of Tennessee. Maye played the first drive, a three-and-out, and passed the baton to Milton to prevent injury. The backup went 22-29 with 241 passing yards, one touchdown, and no picks in a win over the Bills’ backups.</p><p>Maybe the Patriots did hit on another sixth-round quarterback who at one point went to the University of Michigan. But fans are hoping they never have to find out after a great season from first-round pick Drake Maye.</p><h2><b>Who is the best coach for Drake Maye, Patriots?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Joe-Milton-with-NE-Patriots.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When Bill Belichick was fired by the Patriots last offseason, Jerod Mayo was quickly hired to replace him. It came out that Kraft and Mayo already had an agreement to make him the coach after Belichick left. But the one year with Mayo at the helm was such a disaster that Kraft felt he had no other choice.</p><p>The connection has already been made between the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-mike-vrabel-patriots-candidate-replace-jerod-mayo"> team and Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel</a>. After a successful run with the Tennessee Titans, he was fired in a power struggle with a new general manager. He spent the last year as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns and has already <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-mike-vrabel-interview-jets-went-well-catch">had an interview with the New York Jets</a>.</p><p>While Vrabel is not an offensive mind, he did have a relationship with Arthur Smith, who could leave the Steelers for the opportunity to work with Drake Maye. That is assuming the former Falcons head coach does not get another head coaching gig.</p><p>An offensive mind like Ben Johnson, Smith, Bobby Slowik, Joe Brady, or Matt Nagy would also be great fits. Making sure Maye has the right playcaller is the most important part of this cycle for Kraft and the Patriots.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Joe Milton news

Joe
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