The Jacksonville Jaguars put together a well-rounded roster last year. However, they'll need to address a handful of positions in the offseason if they want to pick up where they left off. Most of their needs are on defense, and they're in a bit of a cap crunch, so most of the upgrades the Jags have to make will come in the NFL Draft.
Having said that, the team's brass could free enough cap space to make a splash signing or in free agency. And if that's the route Jacksonville chooses, a beat writer just made an intriguing suggestion that would fortify the interior trenches.
The Jaguars are being urged to sign John Franklin-Myers in free agency
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated suggests the Jags make a run for John Franklin-Myers in free agency, citing his links to James Gladstone and his steady production after going to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 as the main reasons.
"John Franklin-Myers got his start when the Los Angeles Rams, with Gladstone in the front office and Liam Coen on the offensive staff, drafted him in the fourth round of the NFL Draft," Shipley wrote. "He appeared in 16 regular-season games and recorded two sacks as a backup, before getting cut after the 2019 training camp."
Shipley continued, "Since then, Franklin-Myers has created quite the career for himself. He went on to become a full-time player with the New York Jets, starting 52 games and recording 17.5 sacks as a core piece of their defense. Eventually, the Jets traded him to the Broncos, and he responded with career-high sack numbers in both 2024 and 2025."
The past two seasons, Franklin-Myers has appeared in 33 of 34 regular-season games, registering 14.5 sacks, 65 total tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, and 33 quarterback hits. The downside is that he's logged just 46 percent and 49 percent of Denver's offensive snaps in 2024 and 2025, respectively. This means that, as productive as the former Ram is, he isn't a three-down player.
Having said that, Jacksonville has a massive need at defensive tackle, and signing Franklin-Myers would take care of it. Spotrac currently values him at $7.9 million per year. The final amount could be a bit higher, but the Jags could pursue him if they want to (and if he's available).
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John Franklin-Meyers would help the Jaguars solve their issues at defensive tackle
With the Jaguars, Franklin-Myers wouldn't have to be a full-time player. He could be part of a rotation alongside DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead. Then again, things could get a bit complicated if the Jags cut ties with Armstead in the offseason to get cap relief. If that's the course of action they take, signing Franklin-Myers alone wouldn't fix their issues at defensive tackle. The team's brass would then need to use one or two draft picks at the position.
Of course, the Jaguars may want to first take care of their own free agents. Running back Travis Etienne, cornerback Montaric Brown, and linebacker Devin Lloyd are scheduled to hit the open market. If James Gladstone manages to sign one or two of them, they may not be able to target Franklin-Myers or any other big-name player in free agency.
Either way, the prospect of fortifying the interior defensive line with John Franklin-Myers may be too good to pass up, and if the Jaguars think he can fortify the position, you can bet they'll find a way to sign him. Having James Gladstone around could make it possible. It definitely won't hurt their chances.