When the Cowboys waived quarterback Joe Milton, they knew they wanted him back on the practice squad, but they weren’t sure if another team would claim him on waivers, or persuade him to join a different practice squad. For coach Brian Schottenheimer, Milton deciding to stay in Dallas was great news.

“When he informed me he’s coming back, I was elated,” Schottenheimer said. “This is a guy that’s worked his butt off to get where he is, developed the way he’s developed. The talent is so rare. When you’re waived — I’ve been fired many times — you’re in shock a little bit. Then you step back and you didn’t see it coming, but you start figuring out the positives and negatives of the situation. For him to be able to stay here with the relationships he’s built, understanding our system, understanding the locker room, the other coaches, we were thrilled to get him back and he’s going to continue to get better.”

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Schottenheimer knows there’s always a chance that some other team will sign Milton away for its active roster.

“Quarterback rooms around the league are pretty crowded right now, but he’s certainly talented enough to get claimed. It’s our good fortune that he wasn’t,” Schottenheimer said.

Milton’s size, speed and arm strength make him a very attractive prospect, even if so far he hasn’t put it all together to develop into a starting quarterback. The Cowboys think he’s going to keep developing and they’re glad he’s doing it in Dallas.