Trade for Joe Milton puts Dallas Cowboys coach under the spotlight: 4 winners and losers from latest quarterback addition
Every trade comes with winners and losers. Some are obvious, others not quite. And when it comes to a trade involving a quarterback, these are more relevant than usual. After all, there's not a more important position in the sport. With the Dallas Cowboys' addition of Joe Milton, formerly with the New England Patriots, it's time […]
Every trade comes with winners and losers. Some are obvious, others not quite. And when it comes to a trade involving a quarterback, these are more relevant than usual. After all, there's not a more important position in the sport.
With the Dallas Cowboys' addition of Joe Milton, formerly with the New England Patriots, it's time we dive into who is getting his hand raised and who is wishing dominoes had fallen differently.
Below are four winners and losers following the trade.
Winner: Joe Milton
It might come off as the most obvious but not every player who lands on a new team can be considered a winner. In this case, Milton is. The truth is the former Tennessee Vol got dealt a bad hand in New England. He was drafted the same year the Patriots used the No. 3 overall pick on Drake Maye and it was always unlikely for them to have two rookie quarterbacks on the gameday roster.
Add to that the fact the Patriots signed Joshua Dobbs in free agency and things were looking bad for him in New England. But now, he finds a team in which he's projected to become QB2 and the best part is he got to choose where he was going to wind up at. There's no bigger winner to this trade than Milton himself, who gets a chance back up Dak Prescott while essentially on a three-year deal.
Loser: Will Grier
In contrast, there's no bigger loser to the news than Grier. It seemed like heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, if the Cowboys went seven rounds without picking a quarterback, Grier would have no competition for the QB2 job behind Prescott.
Now, though he has a chance to beat out Milton in the offseason like Cooper Rush did Trey Lance in 2024, it's looking like he doesn't have the inside track. Chances are when it's all said and done, Grier is fighting for a roster spot in August.
Loser: Trey Lance
A return to Dallas was always unlikely. But had the Cowboys left the NFL Draft without a quarterback, you never know if a reunion could come about for the right price. So far, it doesn't sound like Lance's name is gaining a lot of interest around the league.
Acquiring Milton all but rules out the Cowboys as an option for the former No. 3 overall pick. We'll see if the market heats up for Lance post NFL Draft or if it's time to consider heading to Canada, where he is gaining interest.
Winner: Steve Shimko (QB coach)
Shimko is far from an established coach in the NFL. He arrived to the Cowboys in 2024 as an offensive assistant before becoming Brian Schottenheimer's quarterbacks coach. With Prescott having almost a decade's worth of experience in the NFL, chances are Shimko will be getting little credit about the $240 million quarterback's performance. But getting a chance to develop Milton in his early career days could be the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself.
Though a very raw prospect, Milton will provide Shimko with a freakish arm. If he solves the puzzle that is the second-year QB, it could go a long way for his career.
