After the New York Jets acquired Haason Reddick earlier this year, they couldn’t afford to pay him and fellow pass rusher John Franklin-Myers.
Consequently, New York gave Franklin-Myers and his agent permission to seek a trade. Because the Jets were in a pinch, they had little leverage in negotiations, allowing the Denver Broncos to get a bargain deal.
During the draft in April, the Broncos sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to New York in exchange for Franklin, a cheap price for a defender with 61 quarterback hits and 19.5 sacks on his resume. After joining the team’s offseason program, Franklin-Myers was asked about landing in Denver.
“As far as the trade, the Jets traded for Haason and reached out to us and told us to see what we could find,” Franklin-Myers said on June 4. “From there, you get the chance to have your conversations and do what you need to do. Denver came up and shoot, what an opportunity I had. I talked to the coaches and talked to the staff members.
“I just heard the vision, heard what they wanted to do for me, how I could help this team and the opportunity that was presented. To play for Coach Sean Payton, I couldn’t pass that up. You talk about the defense they run and putting guys in good positions, that’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m looking forward to going out there with them and playing physical.”
The Jets run a 4-3 defense, so it will be a little bit of an adjustment for Franklin-Myers to switch to a 3-4, but he’s up for the challenge. The 27-year-old defensive end spoke to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph during trade talks.
“I played in a 4-3 front for five years or four years now,” Franklin-Myers said. “It was a little different because you do not know how someone is going to play you, but once I talked to him and understood what the assignment was, then I was on board. I’m locked in. [It is] a chance to grow as a person, as a football player and as a teammate, I couldn’t pass that up.”
Franklin-Myers started all 17 games for New York in each of the last two seasons and he missed just one game in 2021. Over the last three years, he recorded 48 quarterback hits, 14.5 sacks and five pass breakups. With a fresh start in Denver, Franklin-Myers will look to build on those totals in 2024.
