The Denver Broncos have plenty of key free agents set to hit the market in March when the true frenzy of the offseason gets going, but one stands out among the rest.
Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers has been a crucial part of the defensive line for the Broncos over the past two seasons, racking up 14.5 total sacks and providing a consistent presence on a unit that has set a franchise record for sacks in back-to-back seasons.
The question at this point is whether or not the Broncos will retain Franklin-Myers, who will undoubtedly draw interest from a lot of other teams on the open market. According to Pro Football Focus, the projected market value for Franklin-Myers should give the Broncos an extremely easy decision.
Broncos have no-brainer decision to make on John Franklin-Myers with PFF projected market value
PFF as Franklin-Myers as the top projected defensive lineman on this year's market in terms of average annual value on a new contract, but the price is a lot lower than you would think.
They are projecting him to receive a contract for two years, $19.4 million in total money. That's less than $10 million in average annual value, and a price the Broncos should absolutely be willing to pay.
That is less in average annual value than the Broncos gave fellow defensive lineman DJ Jones on a contract last year. Jones signed a three-year deal with the Broncos worth $39 million in total money and $26 million in guaranteed cash. Getting a player like Franklin-Myers for less total money than Jones received in guaranteed money?
That would be an offseason heist for the Broncos.
Even if you extrapolate that projected contract into a 3-year deal to limit the 2026 salary cap hit, the Broncos could offer Franklin-Myers a three-year deal worth $29.1 million in total money and give him $19 million guaranteed.
It just feels like there is some sort of disconnect between the projected market value for someone like JFM and where the Broncos are currently at financially. For such a low price relative to what other players who produce at his level are getting, it doesn't make sense that the Broncos would just let him walk out the door.
Continuity has been such a huge emphasis for this team since Sean Payton came aboard. While you can't expect to keep everybody year after year, Franklin-Myers has done everything he possibly can to prove to the organization that he is the type of culture carrier they're looking for on and off the field.
If he's truly available for this low of a price, it would be a catastrophic mistake for the Broncos to let him walk out the door.