Browns, Joe Milton III Paired in Wacky Trade Proposal

Browns, Joe Milton III Paired in Wacky Trade Proposal originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Cleveland Browns have had enough conversations about the quarterback position for one offseason. Between signing Joe Flacco, trading for Kenny Pickett, and drafting two rookies, Cleveland has added more volume than talent to the quarterback room. The Browns left the 2024 season with the conference’s worst quarterback play and will enter 2025 in a similar spot.

The best path forward is unclear, but it is likely to reveal itself in the coming months. Flacco, with over a decade of starting experience, makes sense as the frontrunner. Dillon Gabriel, the first of two quarterbacks drafted by the Browns, may have the backing of the coaching staff. Shedeur Sanders, who’s more talented but slipped due to pre-draft concerns, could make the case for playing time, too.

The answer to Cleveland’s long-term quarterback issue might not be on the roster, but it is abundantly clear that there is little use in adding another passer to this mess.

Yet, the Browns were paired with freakish quarterback Joe Milton III in a wacky trade proposal that sent Sanders to the Dallas Cowboys. The proposal coincided with speculation about acquiring Anthony Richardson as he stumbled his way into his third season with the Indianapolis Colts.

“But rather than take on the remaining two years of Richardson’s four-year, $34 million contract, for a player who has played just 15 games in two seasons, winning eight, it may make more sense to flip Sanders for the high-upside Milton whose contract pays him just $3.2 million over the next three years,” Jonathan Vankin wrote.

“Or — make another trade with Sanders and give up a Day Three draft asset for Milton.”

Simply put, adding another unproven starter to the gaggle Cleveland has amassed already doesn’t solve the issue. Milton spent his college career as a non-prospect, flashed just enough to be a sixth-round pick, and played meaningful snaps in a single game against the Buffalo Bills’ B-Team. He’d be the most-talented passer in the room, sure, but if the Browns were looking for an unpolished gunslinger, they could have drafted one.

Instead, they passed on the opportunity to trade for Milton and took two passers with more valuable picks. For better or worse, Cleveland is set to sleep in the bed it made earlier in the offseason.

Further, there’s little evidence to suggest that the Cowboys want to deal Milton. If his mobility creates a path for him to see sporadic time in a one-off package, he’d be a priority over Sanders. Dallas passed on Sanders – and the attention he’d bring – three times.

The Browns aren’t in a position to waste draft capital on another backup-level quarterback, and the Cowboys can’t afford to go into the season with a backup they don’t trust. As uninspiring as it may be, Cleveland’s quarterback room is probably set.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Browns, Joe Milton III Paired in Wacky Trade Proposal

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