Bottom line. Milton is an athletic and strong-armed prospect who wanted a chance to compete with first-rounder Maye. So the Pats sidestepped any potential conflict there by giving him away to a Dallas team that just happened to be looking for a “developmental’ backup.

The reasons for the Patriots’ surprise trade of their backup quarterback are coming into view. New England dealt Joe Milton to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick earlier in April, and while meeting with the media on Tuesday, head coach Mike Vrabel explained why the team did what it did.

FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots subtracted from their quarterback room earlier this month — trading Joe Milton III to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick.