The New York Jets might have to deal with a negative ripple effect following the acquisition of Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick.
Rich Cimini of ESPN said veteran defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers “could be the odd man out” after the Reddick trade. He said in a column posted on Sunday, March 31 that, “His roster spot is vulnerable because of a $16.4 million cap charge.”
JFM’s Contract Could Force the Jets Hand This Offseason
Franklin-Myers, 27, has two years left on his $55 million contract he signed in October of 2021.
If the green and white moved on from JFM they would eat $11.1 million in dead cap, per Spotrac. The dead cap charge for 2025 is much more palatable at just $6.5 million.
Franklin-Myers has proven to be quite the feather in general manager Joe Douglas’ cap. New York scooped him up off of waivers after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams in September of 2019.
He originally entered the league as the No. 135 overall pick in the fourth round by the Rams in 2018. JFM only lasted about a year and a half with LA before he was cut.
JFM’s debut with the Jets was delayed due to injury, but he proved well worth the wait. Over the next four seasons, JFM has proven to be versatile, productive, and “reliable” according to Cimini.
In 2021, JFM became a full-time starter for the Jets and he has been ever since. New York has lined him up all over the defensive line formation playing both inside and outside. He has appeared in at least 55% of the defensive snaps for three straight seasons.
Franklin-Myers has totaled over 125 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, and seven pass deflections during his tenure with Gang Green.
Reddick Impact and the Plan for Will McDonald
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap revealed that the Jets, “will take on a $15 million salary cap charge for Reddick, but my assumption would be that the team would immediately restructure the contract by adding void years and paying the majority of the contract as a bonus. That would reduce his cap hit to about $4 million for the season and defer the rest to 2025.”
Fitzgerald emphatically said that Reddick, “should be a significant upgrade for the defense as a whole. While older than [Bryce] Huff, Reddick is a much more complete player and makes more sense to the Jets at this number than Huff did.”
The problem with the addition is that it forces the Jets’ first-round pick from 2023, Will McDonald, into fourth on the depth chart on the defensive line.
Jermaine Johnson, Reddick, and JFM are all currently slotted ahead of the former No. 15 overall pick.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic called the Reddick acquisition a “net positive” for McDonald.
It should reduce the pressure on him to be a one-for-one replacement for Huff. Although in the same breath, Rosenblatt said it isn’t ideal, “for a first-round pick to be your fourth defensive end, but alas.”
If the Jets moved on from JFM, either by release or trade, it would bump McDonald up the depth chart and clear a path to more playing time.
