Will the Broncos be able to succeed in 2025?
The Denver Broncos seem to be set at one cornerback position for years to come. And they’ve tried to spice up their special teams. But it’s the offseason now, and tough choices are part of it. Here’s one Broncos player who could be a surprise roster cut in the 2025 offseason.
Six-year veteran defensive end John Franklin-Myers might be on the way out of the Mile High City. He has been a fixture with the Broncos, starting 66 of 67 games over the last four seasons. However, his production hasn’t been stellar as an edge rusher. His sack totals of 6, 5, 3.5, and 7 don’t move the needle very much.
On top of that, his 2025 cap number is $10 million for a team with only $35 million in cap space. However, the Broncos have more than 50 players under contract. Still, they could save $7 million if they part ways with Franklin-Myers.
Broncos DE Franklin-Myers might not stick with team
First, Franklin-Myers played only 46.2% of the defensive snaps in 2024. However, he complemented his seven sacks with 21 pressures.
One of the good things about Franklin-Myers is his grade, according to Pro Football Focus. His overall mark of 82.8 ranks No. 6 among 219 qualified players. And his pass-rush grade of 84.3 stands at No. 4.
Unfortunately, Franklin-Myers isn’t elite because of his run defense. He graded out at 58.2, which is a mediocre No. 75 for the season. When thinking about run-heavy teams like the Chargers and Ravens in the AFC, it doesn’t bode well to carry an expensive player who can’t hold up against the run.
Another marker of weakness for Franklin-Myers is that he didn’t force a fumble in 2024. He’s simply not a physical player. He can chase down quarterbacks — which adds value, of course — but that’s the bulk of his game. And that’s why he’s not on the field very often.
The Broncos acquired Franklin-Myers in a deal with the Jets. Denver sent New York a sixth-round pick. Before the season, Payton boasted about Franklin-Myers, according to broncoswire.com.
“Each year, consistently you saw the numbers, the numbers, the numbers,” Payton said. “It was kind of like you couldn’t even imagine how close they were. Now it came through power rush, bull rush, or took an edge.
“He’s a powerful player. I would say when you grade or look at his pressure statistics over the last four years or five years, it’s pretty interesting. They’re very consistent across the board. So you see a very consistent player, but again during these drills you’re not able to necessarily see that.”
However, Franklin-Myers didn’t really live up to the billing.
The player burst into the NFL on a high. Drafted in the fourth round in 2018, Franklin-Myers went to the Super Bowl with the Rams. He said it skewered his view of the league, according to Sports Illustrated.
“It's one of those things where in college, I didn't win a lot of football games,” Franklin-Myers said. “In high school, I didn't win any football games. (Laughs) My rookie year, I'm like, ‘Shoot, the NFL is easy.' (Former NFL LB) Bryan Cox is a big mentor of mine, and he was like, ‘The NFL is hard. You have to understand you might go your rookie year and never go again.' I was like, ‘No, we went to the Super Bowl my rookie year.' ”
But he’s seen a different view since then.
“So understanding that, and now I tell everybody I definitely took that for granted (and) didn't understand what I was really getting into,” Franklin-Myers said. “Looking back on it, hindsight is 20-20. (I) definitely would appreciate it a little more, but it definitely gives me a little more drive to sit here and say it's a hard thing to do, but my main goal is to get back there.”
Will he get that chance with the Broncos? Time will tell, but right now he seems to be on the team’s fence.
Payton said the Broncos will look hard at improving their defense for the 2025 season, especially in the middle, according to broncoswire.com.
“We’ll look closely through the middle — inside linebacker, safety. There will be a few other positions.” Payton did not mention the position, an interior defensive lineman would also fit a “through the middle” overhaul.
On offense, Payton said the Broncos need a versatile weapon, according to Up & Adams via Sports Illustrated.
“We do the evaluation of our team, and the purpose of that is to establish ‘must, needs, and wants,'” Payton told Adams. “I would say we need a ‘joker.' “A joker can be a tight end or a running back that has exceptional (receiving ability). We were spoiled here (in New Orleans) when you think about it. We had Reggie Bush, we had Jimmy Graham, Jeremy Shockey, Darren Sproles, Alvin Kamara. Those are interior, either tight ends or running backs, that they have to be elite receivers that can play tight end or running back. And then you get the matchups.”
