Rumor Has it Teams are Looking to Make Joe Milton Their Franchise QB and the Patriots Might Be Open for Business

Boston Globe. Getty Images.

It looks like some good might have come out of that Week 18 win over Buffalo after all. It cost the Patriots a fortune in draft capital and potential return on a trade. But it gave the rest of the football world the chance to see how Joe Milton can perform in a live-fire exercise:

And in a league desperate for quarterbacks, Bazooka Joe's performance has by no means been forgotten:

In every aspect of life, the basic rules of economics apply, including pro football. When the demand for QB1s exceeds the supply, scarcity drives the price up. And teams who see no solutions in this thin draft class are considering Milton as their solution:

Joe Milton III is reportedly gaining "an extreme amount of interest" with several QB needy teams if the Patriots were to make him available for trade. 

Many teams reportedly believe Milton "has the potential" to be a superstar QB1 in the league and believe he could be a starting QB next season. 

There is reportedly thought amongst NFL circles that the Patriots could be looking to "shop" Milton this offseason. 

One NFC scout says he believes Milton is a "better option" than any QB available in this year's NFL Draft. 

Last season, Milton appeared in one game, passing for 241 yards and putting up 2 total TD's in a win against the Bills (who made it to the AFC Championship). 

The Patriots really may have drafted TWO franchise QB's in the SAME Draft

And there are no shortage of people around the league confirming that part about the Patriots, if not "looking to 'shop,'" at least willing to listen to offers:

SI - [T]rade speculation has surged around the 24-year-old, and Greg A. Bedard of The Boston Sports Journal has revealed that the Pats are considering moving [Milton] in the coming weeks or months.

"What I reported at the Senior Bowl, and it's not exactly like a breaking news sounder or something like that, but the chatter from the All-Star circuit, whether it's the East-West and also the Senior Bowl, was that the Patriots are toying with the idea of making Joe Milton available," Bedard said on 98.5 The Sports Hub. "I'm sure they're taking calls if people do call. I think it would be wise."

I could not agree with Greg Bedard more. Sure, there's a risk you might need Milton. But in the words of the great Lt. Frank Drebin, "You take a chance getting up in the morning, crossing the street, or sticking your face in a fan."

Right now, Joe Milton looks promising. Promise is an asset. A tangible one. One you can absolutely cash in on. After one game, Milton is a Mystery Box. People are intrigued about what's inside. But in order to find out, they have to buy it. He might just reach the potential he put on display against a Bills team of backups playing out the string as they got ready for the Wild Card game. Or not. What's important isn't what he is or what he'll be; it's what the customers think he could be.

The beautiful thing is that the Patriots are in the perfect position. They don't need to sell. All they need is a highly motivated buyer. Preferably more than one to increase the motivation and drive the price up further. (See: supply and demand, above.) Never forget that in 2017 Jimmy Garoppolo brought a 2nd round pick, which most people think was way too low. And while Milton only has four quarters of NFL experience on his resume, Jimmy G only had six at the time of the trade. 

Given the realities around the NFL and this draft, that's where I start the auction. 

"The bidding opens at a second round pick for this fine future franchise quarterback. Do I hear a 2nd rounder, 2nd rounder, how about a high 2nd rounder? Do I hear a No. 2 and a 5th? How about a 4th? Do I hear a 1st? Do I hear a 1st and a late round swap to move up?" etc. 

Otherwise, they simply hang up on anybody trying to lowball them. Then they're left to feel very good about the fact they landed a highly coveted backup they have all the confidence in the world in with the 194th pick. And as I seem to recall, the last time they hung onto a backup QB they drafted in the middle of the 6th round, it worked out well enough.