The New England Patriots made a somewhat surprising decision on Monday by signing free agent quarterback Josh Dobbs to a two-year deal.
Dobbs, a former Tennessee Vols standout who has made a career out of being a solid backup quarterback, will serve as a backup to starter Drake Maye in New England.
As soon as the news broke that Dobbs was signing with the Patriots, attention immediately flipped to New England quarterback Joe Milton.
Milton, who is also a former Tennessee standout, was selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Florida native started New England's regular-season finale in 2024, leading the Patriots to a 23-16 win against the Buffalo Bills. Milton played extremely well in the win against Buffalo, passing for 241 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a touchdown.
There's been speculation all offseason that New England could trade Milton to a quarterback-needy team while his stock is high after his great game against the Bills.
According to a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, that appears to be exactly what the Patriots plan to do this offseason (if the right deal materializes) now that they have Dobbs on the roster.
"The Patriots have had discussions on trading QB Joe Milton III and would like to trade him to the right situation to continue his development in the NFL — should a deal get done," wrote Schultz in a tweet. "New England loves Milton, but Drake Maye is their franchise and they just signed Josh Dobbs to a 2-year, $8M contract to be the backup."
If the Patriots can get a fourth-round or fifth-round pick for Milton, then I think there's a good chance we'll see the former Vol traded this offseason (that seems like the minimum that New England would want in return for Milton since they have sixth-round selection invested in the former Vol).
We'll see what happens with Milton in the coming weeks/months, but it's clear from Schultz's report that New England's decision to sign Dobbs makes a trade involving Milton significantly more likely this offseason for the Patriots.
