As the NY Jets continue to await the arrival of star pass rusher Haason Reddick, the team's offseason moves regarding their defensive line have come more into focus. More specifically, the team's decision to trade away John Franklin-Myers for virtually nothing has been questioned — and rightfully so.
General manager Joe Douglas isn't one to look back on past decisions with regrets, and he made that clear when speaking to reporters for the first time since April on Thursday.
Douglas was asked about the Franklin-Myers trade and if he has any regrets, especially in light of what has developed with Reddick, and the Jets' GM refused to admit any doubt.
Douglas told reporters that he doesn't regret trading Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos on draft night in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Unfortunately, that move was not only a mistake at the time but it's also the root of some of the team's current issues.
The NY Jets should regret the John Franklin-Myers trade
The Jets have attempted to push a narrative that they needed to trade Franklin-Myers for cap purposes, but that narrative just isn't true. Franklin-Myers agreed to a reworked deal with the Broncos, one that leaves him with a cap hit of just $5 million in 2024.
The veteran defensive lineman was open to a reworked contract with the Jets, but the team never even approached him with the opportunity. Instead, they traded him away for what essentially amounts to nothing — a sixth-round pick two years in the future.
On top of that, it's the team's other offseason decisions that led them to trade Franklin-Myers in the first place. It's the decision to replace Quinton Jefferson with a less productive and significantly more expensive Javon Kinlaw. And yes, it's the decision to replace Bryce Huff with an older and more expensive Haason Reddick.
Franklin-Myers and Huff's combined cap hit in 2024 is $10 million. Jefferson's cap hit is under $2 million. The Jets gave Kinlaw, a player who has never been anywhere near as productive as Jefferson was in 2023, $7.25 million for just one year.
That's not mentioning the money they're eventually going to pay Reddick when he shows up. The Jets downgraded on their defensive line just to pay more money. Those mistakes have been put under a microscope following Reddick's holdout.
It's also worth noting that the Franklin-Myers trade could be the source of the Reddick dilemma. The All-Pro pass rusher reportedly told the Jets he would show up to OTAs and minicamp without a new contract. Evidently, plans changed.
But what changed between the time of the Reddick trade and OTAs? The Jets traded Franklin-Myers, giving Reddick increased leverage in negotiations. He and his agent are still trying to capitalize on said leverage as we approach September.
Franklin-Myers has long been one of the most undervalued players on the Jets. This is a player who had 50 pressures in 2023 — just six fewer than Jermaine Johnson. Micheal Clemons, for reference, finished with just eight pressures.
The Jets made a mistake trading John Franklin-Myers, and although Joe Douglas might not publicly admit it, it's safe to say some within the organization might be having second thoughts.
