Mike Vrabel squashed any potential drama earlier than it might even fester.
The Patriots’ shocking choice to commerce backup quarterback Joe Milton to the Cowboys for a fifth-round draft choice stemmed from Vrabel opting to commerce a participant who felt he might problem Drake Maye for the beginning job and needed a contemporary begin if he couldn’t, in accordance with Masslive.com.
Vrabel, getting into his first season operating the present in Foxborough, is firmly behind Maye and thus opted to commerce Milton forward of the crew’s offseason program starting Monday.
“Milton, who at 25 is three years older than the Patriots starter, made it clear behind the scenes he no longer wanted to be sitting behind Maye,” the outlet reported. “For Vrabel, who is trying to establish a culture, and trying to set the tone for what’s to come, that attitude didn’t fly.”
The Patriots buying and selling Milton caught some off guard for the reason that 2024 sixth-round choose confirmed promise in his lone begin final season, albeit towards the Payments’ backups within the regular-season Week 18 finale.
Milton, 25, accomplished 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and one landing in a 23-16 upset that price New England the No. 1 draft choose.
Groups are often looking for late-round draft picks with upside that they’ll mildew, particularly with groups missing sturdy quarterback choices, and Milton appeared like he could match that billing.
But New England opted to ship him and a seventh-round choose to Dallas for a fifth-round choice, which is hardly the definition of a proposal a crew can’t refuse.
Those that puzzled if there was extra to the story seemingly had been right.
Milton “fancied himself a starter,” per the report, and he “preferred” to land with one other crew if he wouldn’t have an opportunity to compete for the beginning position.
The Patriots took Maye with the third choose within the 2024 draft and he confirmed promise amid a horrible season for the Patriots.
“(Milton) also believed he was good enough to give Maye a run, if not overtake him for the top job,” Masslive.com reported.
That the Patriots opted to make this transfer forward of the upcoming NFL draft, which can happen from April 24-26, coincided with Vrabel wanting no points as soon as the offseason program began.
The previous Titans coach praised Milton however truly hinted at a commerce in the course of the current AFC coaches breakfast.
New England is as an alternative going with veteran Josh Dobbs as its backup quarterback.
“Yeah, I think Joe did everything that they asked him to do last year. Sounds like in conversations that he worked extremely hard, and that’s tough when you’re a quarterback,” Vrabel stated. “Everyone needs to play. Everyone needs to be the starter, all people and that’s nice to have that angle.
“And he was prepared for his alternative there late within the season, which I commend him on, identical to I might any participant that sat there and went by way of an extended season, a troublesome season, after which bought the chance, went out, gained a soccer sport, performed properly, helped his crew win.
“And then where that leads to, we’ll see as the draft approaches, or where Joe is on April 7 to start our offseason program.”
Milton is in Dallas this April 7 however seemingly isn’t any nearer to beginning than he would have been in New England, caught behind entrenched starter Dak Prescott.
The distinction is Milton is reportedly “happy” to with the Cowboys since his mom is a longtime fan of the franchise and enjoying for America’s Crew is a “dream” for the quarterback, per the article.
