After weeks of speculation, the New England Patriots finally decided Thursday to trade Joe Milton III, along with a 2025 seventh-round pick, to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-round pick.

Given all the hype surrounding Milton this offseason and the number of teams in need of a quarterback, it’s somewhat surprising that the Patriots didn’t get more in return.

The Patriots have the position locked up with Drake Maye at the helm for the foreseeable future, and New England added Josh Dobbs as a veteran backup in free agency, leaving Milton with little room to fight for the starting job at Gillette Stadium.

One NFL insider offered context as to why New England pulled the trigger on the deal.

“It’s conceivable head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels weren’t as confident about Milton’s long-term potential,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe wrote in a recent column. “They shipped out Milton to move up 46 spots in the draft. That’s definitely a gamble, but the Patriots certainly have more pressing needs than developing a young quarterback behind Maye. They could also take another late-round flier on a QB this month in the draft.”

Howe continued: “The backup quarterback is typically one of the most popular people in town, so there will be fans who hate this decision.

Those feelings will be justified if Milton ever has any success as a starter. But by moving on, the Patriots announced their priorities were elsewhere on the roster.”

At the end of the day, the Patriots need draft capital in order to speed up their rebuilding process. Trading Milton helped them do that, and it’s now up to Vrabel and the rest of the team’s front office to parlay the new pick into a player who can help the Patriots win in 2025 and beyond.

For Dallas, if Milton develops into a starter or turns those flashes into something more consistent before the expiration of his rookie contract, the Cowboys will definitely benefit from this trade.