The Denver Broncos made a trade during Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft to acquire New York Jets starting defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers in a move that appears to be a salary dump for the Jets. It's the only explanation for a move that is so friendly to the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos acquired a player who will come in and immediately impact the defensive front, likely lining up as a starter at defensive end, in exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick. The Jets clearly were motivated to get rid of Franklin-Myers, and the Broncos were willing to oblige given the current state of their defensive line.
Another Jets-Broncos trade: Jets are sending DE John Franklin-Myers, who has started 50 games the past three seasons, to the Broncos in an exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2024
Within the past week, the Jets have traded Franklins-Myers and Zach Wilson to the Broncos. pic.twitter.com/sttoenIX1o
Also according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Franklin-Myers will be restructuring his current contract with the Jets to come to Denver as he was in the midst of a four-year deal worth $55 million in total money. Only 27 years old, this move is at least in part considered to be a response to the Jets' acquisition of Haason Reddick earlier this offseason, but not positionally.
Sources: John Franklin-Meyers and the #Broncos have agreed to a new two-year, $15M deal as part of the trade from the Jets. The deal will pay a total of $10M guaranteed, including $8M fully guaranteed and $4M signing bonus. pic.twitter.com/L1Ix8Hdlpv
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 27, 2024
Franklin-Myers is a 6-foot-4, 288-pound defensive lineman and not a stand-up edge rusher, but he can get after the quarterback. He was initially drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft but played sparingly in Los Angeles prior to signing with the Jets. He's racked up at least 13 QB hits in each of the last four seasons and has 19.5 career sacks.
The Denver Broncos have substantially upgraded their defensive line with this move, and that was something they weren't going to be able to accomplish given the way they had invested their 1st and 3rd-round picks earlier during Draft weekend. The Broncos landed a franchise QB in Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in the first round, and they went after EDGE rusher Jonah Elliss in the third round.
Adding Franklin-Myers for the low price of a 2026 sixth-round pick is a move that changes the outlook of the entire offseason. He's an impact starter on the defensive front who will give the Broncos a top four of Zach Allen, Franklin-Myers, DJ Jones, and 2024 free agent signing Malcolm Roach. Having those guys on the defensive front should significantly upgrade a unit that was dead last in the 2023 season allowing 5.0 yards per carry and giving up more rushing yards than any other team in the league.
The Broncos needed to get tougher on the defensive front, and they've done that. Raising the proverbial floor on the defensive line significantly increases the team's chances of being competitive in a year where folks otherwise thought the Broncos were packing it in.
This move is a major signal that they are doing the exact opposite. The Broncos already have a good offensive line in place, and now they can officially say they have a good defensive line, at least among their top four players at that position group. They've added to the EDGE room and already have some upside pass rushers to work with there.
Things are looking up after Draft weekend in Broncos Country.