The New England Patriots are committed to developing Drake Maye into its next franchise quarterback. That leaves former Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III in a spot where he may never have the opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
That could change if the Patriots choose to move Milton ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft or as capital to move up in the draft.
First-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel isn't ready to move on from Milton, although the franchise is committed to Maye.
"I think it's a little early to have that conversation right now as far as trading players," said Vrabel. "I would say that anything that we could do within reason to strengthen our roster, we would have to entertain - outside of, I would say, a few players.
It seems like the Patriots are already having roster conversations about who could be moved this offseason. Vrabel did a great job utilizing his roster as the Tennessee Titans head coach, and it looks like he's preparing to do the same with a Patriots front office that prioritizes winning.
Vrabel also mentioned he has spoken to Milton and possibly had discussions about his future after Milton took over as starting quarterback at the end of the 2024 season.
"I've talked to Joe. I've reached out. We've had conversations," Vrabel continued. "I think that's too soon to tell (an impression)... He took advantage of his opportunity at the end of the season, which is all we can ask of any player, is that they're able to do that."
Vrabel's hesitancy to move on from a backup quarterback indicates he might like what he sees with Milton as a potential starting quarterback in the future or at least as a strong backup option moving forward.
Milton has the potential to be a QB1 in the NFL with some of the best arm talent the league has to offer, but that might not be enough to keep him with the Patriots.
While Vrabel is bought in on Milton, for now, we saw that with his Titans tenure, that might not matter as the front office makes the final decision when it comes to moving players.