‘A lot of this position is played from the neck up’ – Former Titans GM Ran Carthon gets real about former Vols QB Joe Milton
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton, a former Tennessee Vols standout who is batting Will Grier for the backup quarterback job, has struggled a bit during preseason action. As a result, it’s unclear who will emerge as the backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas. Everyone seems to have a strong opinion on Milton, so it’s no […]
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton, a former Tennessee Vols standout who is batting Will Grier for the backup quarterback job, has struggled a bit during preseason action.
As a result, it’s unclear who will emerge as the backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas.
Everyone seems to have a strong opinion on Milton, so it’s no surprise that former Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon has some thoughts on the former Vol.
Carthon, who played college football for the Florida Gators, discussed what he’s seen from Milton during preseason action on the most recent With the First Pick podcast.
“He’s talented,” said Carthon of Milton. “He has physical traits and physical tools, but a lot of this position is played from the neck up — which has nothing to do with the physicality part. And so if Joe Milton wants to take the next step and become the guy that he thinks he is — which is why he’s even in Dallas in the first place — there’s a lot of areas of his game that he has to fix.
“It’s cool to be able to do the trick shots and throw the ball from stadium one to stadium 32, but you’re not going to make those type of throws in games. You don’t need those throws. It’s all about timing, accuracy, anticipation. You got to be able to do those things. You got to be able to process. You got to understand situational football.”
“You got to be able to get the ball out, and you definitely can’t take a sack back there,” continued Carthon. “And especially someone with his athleticism — you can’t take a sack. You got to know when to just get rid of the ball and live to see another down. So these are all areas where he’s going to have to improve….Dak has an injury history. It is what it is. And this team, they want to compete. They’re in a very, very tough division that you can’t afford to get behind the eight ball in. And so if something happens to Dak, then what?”
Milton’s talent has always been obvious, and he’s typically been a good practice player. The biggest thing for Milton is finding a way to be consistent. We’ve seen plenty of flashes of his elite abilities — he’s made some high level throws as a pro. But he just hasn’t been able to put it all together consistently enough to be a dependable quarterback in the NFL.
Milton has the talent to be a starter in the NFL. But until he shows he can be consistent, he’s going to struggle to secure a starting role or even a primary backup role.
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