On Sept. 1, 2019, Jets GM Joe Douglas claimed defensive end John Franklin-Myers off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams. The move didn’t move the needle much, especially because Franklin-Myers quickly got hurt, and landed on injured reserve early that October.
But in 2020, this waiver claim is starting to pay some dividends.
At 6-4, 288 pounds, Franklin-Myers has a nice combination of size and quick twitch, and has made a number of attention-grabbing plays this season.
In the recent Jets-Cardinals game, he had two really impressive plays:
Late in the first quarter, Franklin-Myers blew by Cardinals right tackle Kelvin Beachum, forcing QB Kyler Murray out of the pocket and he ran for a short gain. Beachum was flagged for holding Franklin-Myers on this play.
Early in the third quarter, Franklin-Myers beat guard J.R. Sweezy for a sack with good hand usage and quickness.
In the recent Jets-Broncos game, he also had two impressive plays:
In the middle of the third quarter, FranklinMyers hit QB Brett Rypien as he threw. The pass ended up being complete for a 9-yard gain to TE Noah Fant, but still Franklin-Myers did a nice job on this play getting to the QB.
Also in the third quarter, on third-and-4, Franklin-Myers pushed a lineman back into Rypien, and tipped the pass at the line.
It was a little surprising the Rams released Franklin-Myers in the first place. This is a player who played a lot as a rookie in 2018, and recorded a sack on then New England QB Tom Brady, forcing a fumble (recovered by the Patriots), in Super Bowl LIII.
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FIRST DOWN- A lot of potential, but a lot to learn
There is a lyric in an old song by the rock group Chicago that sums up where Zach Wilson is right now:
IN HIS OWN WORDS WITH DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JEFF ULBRICH - Ulbrich breaks down Jets' defensive personnel
(Marcus Maye) can do it all. I would feel comfortable with him (at free or strong safety). He’s a guy that, to me, he can play deep, he can play the half field, he can play the middle third, he can do that and you feel comfortable with it. I think he’s got range, speed and athleticism. I think he’s got ball skills and instincts to be a deep safety. But I think he’s got enough size and girth and want-to and courage to play in the box. It’ll be fun to utilize all the things that he does. He can cover tight ends; he can cover some of the wide receivers in this league.
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Jets hope initiatives will increase winning edge
Aside from adding as many good players as possible to help the Jets improve, coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas are trying to turn over every stone to find extra ways to give their team a winning edge, and two examples of this were announced over the course of the offseason, with the additions of a game management coach (Matt Burke) and the installation of an Athletic Care and Performance Department. Let’s take a closer look at these two moves and how they might help the Jets:
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SAFETIES
Justin Simmons, Broncos 6-2 • 202 pounds • 27 years old
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Trent Williams, 49ers 6-5 • 320 pounds • 32 years old
LINEBACKERS
Lavonte David, Buccaneers 6-0 • 226 pounds • 26 years old
