DL John Franklin-Myers Dishes on How he Went From the Jets to Broncos

John Franklin-Myers sounds excited to get to work with the Denver Broncos.

Jan 9, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets defensive end John Franklin-Myers (91) / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos GM George Paton recently pulled off two unexpected trade deals with the New York Jets. Paton didn't give up much draft capital to acquire quarterback Zach Wilson and defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers, but the Broncos may have gotten an immediate starter in the latter.

Due to the arrival of first-round quarterback Bo Nix, the prospect of Wilson starting under center appears to be a longshot. On the other side of the ball, don't be surprised if Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph hasn't already penciled in Franklin-Myers as his starter in a beefed-up 3-4 alignment.

Despite still only being 27 years old, the former Jets starter is now on his third team, so Franklin-Myers knows what it takes to get the job done when he changes zip codes.

"I'm looking forward to it," Franklin-Myers told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. "It's another opportunity to grow, another opportunity to impose my will... I play with a physicality people don't want to match and aren't willing to match."

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The productive Franklin-Myers may consider himself unlucky to have been deemed surplus to requirements in the Big Apple. But at least New York GM Joe Douglas was upfront enough to let the lineman, who started 50 games for the Jets, explore trade options once they had acquired Haason Reddick from the Buffalo Bills. 

"I was working out and got a call from (Jets general manager) Joe Douglas and he just said they traded for Haasan and that was that," Franklin-Myers recalled via Tomasson. "So, if we could figure out something trade-wise, that would be the best opportunity for both parties."

As much as anything else, Franklin-Myers was caught up in a salary-cap number crunch, but since landing in Denver, he quickly renegotiated a two-year, $15 million deal with $10 million guaranteed. While sorting out the financial side of the deal was important, finding a place where he could fit in is what really sold Franklin-Myers on the Broncos.

"We talked to Sean Payton, George Paton and Vance (Joseph) during the process and I heard the vision, heard the excitement in their voices, and it made the decision definitely a little easier," Franklin-Myers said via Tomasson. "You definitely want to go somewhere that you feel wanted. It's just another opportunity to go out there and do my thing. That was hard to pass up." 

Franklin-Myers could be the starter come Week 1, but his addition allows much greater depth and flexibility overall when it comes to the rotation upfront. In nose tackle D.J. Jones and defensive end Zach Allen, the Broncos have got a pair of well-paid incumbents for Franklin-Myers to play alongside next season.

Furthermore, Franklin-Myers likes the idea of lining up next to the Broncos' young pass rushers. 

"I'm going to help them make plays and it's a good opportunity for everybody," Franklin-Myers said via Tomasson. "I get a chance to learn from Zach, to learn from D.J. Jones. And with (outside linebackers) Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning, those are guys I've been watching, been supporting... We're going to go out there and put our best foot forward and make the offense better and they're going to make us better in practice."

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