The New England Patriots were ready to turn the page on the Bill Belichick era and start a new chapter with a new regime. Especially at quarterback!
To do so, they essentially traded Mac Jones for Joe Milton.
Jones, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, went 18-24 as the starter in New England. His 10-7 record as a rookie was the start of a steep decline. He went 6-8 in 2022 and 2-9 in 2023.
Even beyond wins and losses, Jones’ time on the Patriots was rather frustrating. Interceptions were a big issue in all three years. Attitude and demeanor reportedly caused problems as well.
There was no future for Jones with the organization so the front office shipped him off to Jacksonville in the middle of March for the No. 193 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It was a sixth rounder.
And with that pick, New England drafted his replacement. Kind of.
Drake Maye went third overall and is expected to be the starting quarterback next year. His backup, assuming that Bailey Zappe is traded sooner than later, was selected five rounds later.
The Patriots used the pick that they received from the Jaguars for Jones to draft Joe Milton. Their decision to do so in that spot made it, essentially, a one-for-one trade.
Jones, 25, is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Milton, 24, is 6-foot-5, 235 pounds.
While the former was often criticized for his lack of arm strength, that is not an issue for the latter. New England basically traded a pistol for a rocket launcher. Milton, who casually walked-off an 80-yard BOMB at the NFL Scouting Combine, is known as ‘Bazooka Joe’ for a reason!
On the most simple level, the Patriots turned Mac Jones into Joe Milton. There is a significant contrast between the two signal-callers and it is very funny how trades that seem so unimportant end up having such a big impact on the look of a roster.