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.
This story is from the November 2020 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
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This story is from the November 2020 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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