In early April, the Dallas Cowboys sent a fifth-round draft pick to the New England Patriots to get back a seventh-rounder and, more importantly, one of the NFL’s most controversial quarterbacks, 25-year-old Joe Milton III.
Why is Milton such a lightning rod for controversy?
The reason is what has come to be called “The Joe Milton Experience,” the 2024 sixth-round draft pick’s combination, on display throughout his six-year college career at Michigan then Tennessee, of genuinely rarefied physical gifts – including perhaps the strongest throwing arm in the game â and a seeming inability to execute the fundamentals of the quarterback position.
Milton Trade Called ‘Dreadful Mistake’
That’s why, when the Cowboys acquired him, the reaction was mixed at best. As recently as two days ago, Fansided Cowboys writer John Buhler called the trade “a dreadful mistake.”
“Dallas’ decision to go with Milton as Dak Prescott’s primary backup might cost everyone their jobs,” Buhler wrote. “He has an absolute howitzer of a right arm, and he knows this! The problem with that is somebody has to catch his passes. He may be throwing the ball to the best of the best in the NFL, but not being able to throw with any touch at all is why so many former college stars fizzle out.”
What a difference one preseason game makes.
Milton Appears to Lock Up QB2 Job
Despite two shaky performances in the starting role under center against the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, the Cowboys gave Milton a third chance on Friday night when Dallas faced the Atlanta Falcons in the final contest of the preseason.
This time, Milton came through â so much so that “perhaps this performance convinces the Cowboys front office (and their fans) that Milton is their future quarterback after Prescott,” according to Gerard Angelo Samillano of Clutch Points.
“If they can continue to develop the quarterback, he will be an excellent asset for the franchise,” the Clutch Points scribe concluded.
Milton completed 10 of 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, and he also ran the ball in for a second TD, ending with a respectable if not spectacular QB Rating of 97.5.
Schottenheimer Gives Strong Indication of Decision
His performance appears to have been enough for head coach Brian Schottenehimer to make a decision in the No. 2 quarterback competition between Milton and journeyman Will Grier.
The coach pulled Milton from the game before the third quarter was finished, a move that in a preseason game indicates that coach has seen what he needs to see.
“That would seem to indicate they are pleased with his progress and are ready to announce him as QB2,” wrote Cowboys columnist Jerry Trotta of The Landry Hat. “When Brian Schotteheimer announced Milton as the starter for the final game, he stressed that the 25-year-old old needs reps. Schottenheimer made it clear the team needed to see more from Milton, and yet he was taken out with a lot of time left.”
The key may have been that the 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton, best known for his ability to fire the ball almost all the way down the field in the air, displayed significant progress in developing the “touch” that he supposedly lacked earlier.
Milton Show ‘Touch’ in ‘Absolute Dime’ TD Pass
“Milton put the type of touch on display that head coach Brian Schottenheimer had been looking for all preseason,” recounted Garrett Podell of CBS Sports. “He dropped an absolute dime to wide receiver Jalen Brooks, his go-to deep ball target from practice, for a 29-yard touchdown pass to begin the second half.”
While Schottenheimer has not made any decision on the No. 2 quarterback job public yet, his handling of Milton on Friday appears to indicate that the final call has been made.
With final roster cuts required by Tuesday, and at least an initial round expected over the weekend, Milton and Cowboys fans will not have long to wait for the decision to be made official, one way or the other.
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