Jets trade John Franklin-Myers to Broncos (2024)

The New York Jets and Denver Broncos like doing business with each other, apparently.

First, the Jets pursued a trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Monday, they traded quarterback Zach Wilson to Denver.

Saturday, the Jets traded defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to the Broncos for a 2026 sixth-round pick. The move clears some much-needed cap space for the Jets but also removes one of their defensive leaders from the last few years and hurts their depth at defensive end.

But the Jets viewed Franklin-Myers as expendable after trading for Eagles star pass rusher Haason Reddick — a trade that cut into the team’s cap space and left it with barely any room heading into the NFL Draft. Couple that with general manager Joe Douglas drafting defensive ends in the first round in both 2022 (Jermaine Johnson) and 2023 (Will McDonald IV) and the writing was on the wall for Franklin-Myers in New York.

Life’s a trampoline, I’m gone bounce back regardless. pic.twitter.com/KfcK8PUKNT

— John Franklin-Myers (@J_FranklinMyers) April 25, 2024

The Jets are tight on cap space — with only $1.9 million according to the NFLPA’s latest report, prior to the Wilson trade — and Franklin-Myers would have been a $16.3 million cap hit in 2024. The Jets save $7.3 million by trading Franklin-Myers while incurring a $9 million dead cap penalty. The Jets already owed $34.5 million in dead cap for players no longer on their roster, not accounting for the $2.75 million they’ll still owe Wilson after trading him to the Broncos. Denver was expected to restructure Franklin-Myers’ deal, as the 27-year-old is owed salaries of $13.3 million in 2024 and $14.35 million in 2025, with $500,000 in roster bonuses due each year as well.

Franklin-Myers and the Broncos agreed to a new two-year, $15 million deal including $10 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.

This locks in Reddick (27 sacks in two years with the Eagles) and Johnson (a Pro Bowler in 2023) as starters at defensive end in 2024, with McDonald expected to take on a much bigger role after barely playing as a rookie (184 defensive snaps, three sacks). The Jets will miss Franklin-Myers both what he brings as a leader and as a versatile defensive lineman, even if he was never a star-level player.

Franklin-Myers was one of the greater success stories of the Douglas era and became one of the key leaders and voices of the locker room as the team has struggled — and a key piece of the team’s elite defense. Douglas claimed Franklin-Myers off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. In 2021, the Jets signed Franklin-Myers to a four-year, $55 million deal. He’s started 50 games over the last three years, accumulating 14 1/2 sacks and 48 QB hits. Franklin-Myers was valued for his versatility, often sliding inside to play defensive tackle on passing downs.

The Jets have hyped up third-year defensive end Micheal Clemons as someone who can provide versatility like Franklin-Myers by occasionally sliding inside, though he actually barely did that in his first two seasons, logging just 65 snaps combined in 2022-23 on the interior.

Why the Broncos made this move

The Broncos have made it clear since the start of the offseason that improving their run defense is a significant priority. They gave up 5 yards per rush in 2023, the most in the NFL. The Broncos signed Malcolm Roach, who previously played for head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans, early in free agency. They later added a depth piece in veteran Angelo Blackson. Trading for Franklin-Myers, a versatile piece who could play multiple spots on the defensive front, is another significant financial investment up front, acquired for a low draft capital cost.

The 6-foot-4, 288-pounder is a sound run defender, but he’ll also provide the Broncos with a needed pass-rush presence on the interior. He has 19 ½ sacks since entering the league as a fourth-round pick of the Rams. He had 11 sacks across the 2021 and 2022 seasons alone while playing for the Jets. The Broncos had a revolving door at the defensive end spot opposite Zach Allen last season. Franklin-Myers, who started 34 games the past two seasons, will immediately fill that spot. — Nick Kosmider, Broncos beat writer

Where it leaves Denver’s salary cap

The Broncos entered Friday with roughly $15.1 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap. Franklin-Myers signed a four-year, $55 million extension early in the 2021 season and was set to count $16.36 million against the cap in 2023, but was expected to restructure his deal with Denver to make it a two-year, $15 million contract with $10 million in guarantees, according to a league source.

Simply put, Franklin-Myers was likely the last big-budget move the Broncos had left to play this offseason. Some of the team’s remaining space will be used to sign this weekend’s draft class — quarterback Bo Nix’s is projected to sign a four-year, $18.6 million rookie-scale contract — and the rest will be reserved for a budget of possible in-season maneuvering. — Kosmider

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