Saints-Joe Milton Rumors: Patriots Receiving Calls On QB As NFL Draft Nears

Should New Orleans pursue the sophomore quarterback?

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III (19) throws a pass against the Buffalo Bills in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Another day, another Joe Milton III trade rumor.

Milton, speculated as a potential target of the New Orleans Saints, has popped up in trade rumors throughout the offseason. That trend continued Wednesday with a report from MassLive's Mark Daniels and Karen Guregian.

"According to multiple sources, the Patriots have received multiple trade inquiries for young quarterback Joe Milton III," the two Patriots insiders wrote.

"It remains to be seen if the Patriots will ultimately deal Milton. However, there does seem to be motivation on the player’s side to be moved. A source close to the quarterback said Milton would prefer to be on a roster that best gives him a chance to compete for the starting job."

New England reportedly wants a Day 2 pick for Milton, potentially as high as a second-rounder. That sounds like a steep price for a player who was drafted in the sixth round a year ago, but QB-needy teams like the Saints might prefer rolling the dice on someone like Milton over using a Day 2 pick in a bad quarterback draft.

Plus, Milton already has demonstrated an ability to take to NFL coaching and improve the flaws in his game. Tennessee product showed significant progress in Week 18 in a de facto start against Buffalo.

Replacing rookie Drake Maye after just one series against the Bills, Milton essentially made his first NFL start. And he capitalized on the opportunity, completing 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and one TD while rushing for another score and committing zero turnovers in a Patriots victory. Sure, Buffalo barely played its starters, but Milton's performance was nonetheless impressive.

The Saints own the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which they could use to target a QB prospect such as Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart. They also could wait until Day 2 to land someone like Quinn Ewers.

But make no mistake: Milton is on the trade block. And though there hasn't been any concrete reporting connecting him to New Orleans, the Saints make sense as a possible landing spot.

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