Getty Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos.
Denver Broncos general manager George Paton has turned the roster over a great deal in the last two seasons.
This offseason was no different.
Paton cut 2022 prized trade acquisition Russell Wilson and traded former first-round pick Jerry Jeudy. He also watched several starters on both sides of the ball walk in free agency. But it is one of his most understated that could prove most impactful.
It is the trade to acquire defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers from the New York Jets. He opened up about how the trade from the Jets came about and his thoughts on the Broncos.
“Jets traded for Haason [Reddick] and then reached out to us and just kind of told us to just kind of see what we can find,” Franklin-Myers told reporters on June 4. “From there, get a chance to have your conversations, do what you need to do.
“Denver came up and see what opportunity that I had. Talk to the coaches, talk to those staff members, and just heard the vision heard about what they wanted to do for me. How I could help this team, and opportunity that was presented, and chance to play for Coach Sean Payton, shoot, I couldn’t pass it up.”
WELCOME TO DENVER JOHN FRANKLIN-MYERS
The Broncos sent the Jets a 2026 sixth-round pick for Myers. He chalked the trade up as an opportunity to grow.
“You don’t know in the NFL [when a trade could happen],” Franklin-Myers said. “I mean, shoot, it just is kind of – it kind of is what it is. And when it’s that time, and when you get the phone call, you just kind of – you understand that it’s a business. You understand that it’s time to make sure that you’re in the best position possible, you have the best opportunity possible.
“That’s what it’s all about. It’s not so much about the money, it’s not about the fame or anything like that. It’s about getting a chance to win and getting a chance to get a great opportunity to play football, and to make a stamp.”
John Franklin-Myers Plays With Unmatched ‘Effort & Physicality’
GettyJohn Franklin-Myers #98 of the Denver Broncos.
Franklin-Myers pointed to former Jets teammate Sheldon Rankins as someone who initially sold him on Payton. Rankins played under Payton with the New Orleans Saints.
Beyond that, hearing from his former Jets coach and current Broncos senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt and Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph helped sell him on the vision of what they want to be.
Franklin-Myers is bullish on his fit within that vision.
“I play with an effort and a physicality that people just aren’t willing to match,” Franklin-Myers said. “It’s just how I am; it’s how I was designed. And the challenge is to come here and to continue to do that, and I’m going to do that. Because that’s just how I’m built.”
Paton touted Franklin-Myers’ versatility and durability, with the defender missing just one game in his five-year career. Payton touted Franklin-Myers’ on-field consistency and motor.
“You talk about the defense they run and putting guys in good positions, and that’s what I’m looking forward to. Looking forward to going out there with them and playing physical.”
That physicality bodes well for a Broncos defense that ranked 22nd against the run.
John Franklin-Myers Could Have ‘Biggest Impact’ on Broncos
GettyJohn Franklin-Myers #98 of the Denver Broncos.
Franklin-Myers has 19.5 career sacks, a strong number considering how the Jets utilized him during his tenure.
“As the Broncos move through the final stages of their offseason program, it’s already clear Franklin-Myers will be worth plenty more than a late-round draft pick two years from now,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote on June 8.
Legwold notes that Franklin-Myers will start opposite Zach Allen at defensive end next season.
Veteran D.J. Jones projects to man the middle at nose tackle once again. But Franklin-Myers is a chess piece that the Broncos can move around the defensive front to create advantages based on matchups.
“If things go the way he and the Broncos want, Franklin-Myers, who won a Super Bowl ring as a Los Angeles Rams rookie in 2018, will be a mainstay in the Broncos’ defense,” Legwold wrote.
“Broncos have a great history of winning and just look forward to just continue that,” Franklin-Myers said.