The Denver Broncos have been busy this offseason. The team has signed quality free agents in Evan Engram, Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga while giving contract extensions to Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen.
The team has a clear vision for the future and will likely look to get a new contract done with Nik Bonitto before he hits free agency. But the team isn't going to be able to afford to keep everyone and a popular prediction is that defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers will be one the team has to cut loose.
Franklin-Myers came over through a trade with the New York Jets that took place during the 2024 NFL Draft. The Broncos gave up only a sixth-round pick and Franklin-Myers turned in an impressive 7-sack season for the team. He is expected to be a starter again this season and a key piece of one of the league's better defensive units.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report is one who sees Franklin-Myers getting away and entering free agency following the season. He suggests that the Atlanta Falcons will be the team to scoop him up.
"The Falcons pass rush has been an issue for a long time. They took huge steps toward fixing it by taking Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. The two rookies are speed demons off the edge, but the Falcons might find they need a power-rusher to balance things out.
John Franklin-Myers would be a perfect candidate for that role. The 6'4", 289-pound defensive lineman is a strong power rusher as a defensive end, but he also has the size to kick inside if necessary. The Falcons could get creative with how they use all three of them if they sign him next offseason", wrote Ballentine.
The Broncos may have to accept the fact that Franklin-Myers, while a good defensive piece for the team, just doesn't fit into their budget. The team likely already has this heavy on the mind and that is why it traded back into the third round of this year's draft to select LSU defensive lineman Sai'vion Jones.
READ: Broncos predicted to replace Alex Singleton with first-round pick in 2026
Jones appears to be the player the Broncos have tabbed as a replacement for Franklin-Myers, who stands to hit on his first big NFL payday following this season. If he plays as well as he did last year, he may help the Broncos enjoy great success, but he will also price himself out of their market.
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