The Jets acquired a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Broncos in a trade that sends veteran DL John Franklin-Myers to Denver.
Last season, Franklin-Myers totaled 33 tackles and 3.5 sacks while appearing in 17 games. A waiver claim in 2019, Franklin-Myers played 65 games for the Green & White from 2020-23 and racked up 17.5 sacks and 125 tackles.
Earlier this month, the Jets acquired Haason Reddick from the Eagles in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in 2026. Reddick, who had 11 sacks last season, is one of seven NFL defenders in the past 10 seasons with a streak of at least four seasons of 10-plus sacks. Last April, the Jets selected Iowa State edge Will McDonald in the first round. Jermaine Johnson, a first-round pick in 2022, made a huge leap in his second professional campaign with 7.5 sacks, 55 tackles and 11 TFL. Third-year pro Micheal Clemons is also a rotational piece who play DE and DT.
"When we made the trade for Haason, we knew it was going to be next to impossible to keep JFM at his salary," said GM Joe Douglas. "I talked to JFM, talked to (agent Cliff Brady). They were great. We opened it up to let them explore an opportunity elsewhere, a trade elsewhere so that was a few weeks ago obviously after we traded for Haason. We got the deal worked out with Denver today after a lot of talks, but that's a difficult one because I can't tell you how much I love JFM as a person and as a player."
The Franklin-Myers trade will reportedly provide more than $7 million in salary cap space for the Jets. Franklin-Myers, a Stephen F. Austin product taken in the fourth round by the Rams in 2018, has 19.5 career sacks, 135 tackles and 21 TFL in 81 games.
"Picking him up after coming from the Rams and the only thing you knew about him was he had a sack in the Super Bowl that year against the Patriots," Douglas said. "Seeing him develop as a player, as a person, as a man, he's a great father. So that's a difficult thing and it's an unfortunate part of the business not being able to keep him. But I'll say Denver got a hell of a player."
Douglas has been busy on the trade front throughout the weekend, making six total trades. The edge position has changed quite a bit for the Jets with Reddick's arrival and the departures of Bryce Huff (PHI) and Franklin-Myers.
"It's going to be tough, but we love the guys we have in our room," HC Robert Saleh said. "Obviously JFM with his leadership and all that stuff, it's going to be sorely missed. Just to echo what Joe just said, when we first got here – red flags all over his name. You just saw an individual who worked at it not just from a football standpoint but as a character, a man, a father. He's an unbelievable leader, unbelievable human, unbelievable player. Just to echo what Joe said, Denver got a hell of a player."
