The Philadelphia Eagles addressed the loss of edge rusher and Super Bowl hero Josh Sweat in free agency by bringing in 2 players on “prove it” contracts with Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari.
What the Eagles have yet to address is the loss of do-it-all defensive lineman Milton Williams to the New England Patriots on a 4-year, $104 million free agent contract.
Philadelphia already has one notable trade this offseason in sending safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put forth another trade pitch which would bring versatile Denver Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to the Eagles.
“While the Eagles did add edge-rushers Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche, they could use another bigger body to help replace Williams,” Knox wrote. “John Franklin-Myers could be just the candidate Philly needs. Franklin-Myers (6’4″, 288 lbs) fits the size profile of Williams (6’3”, 290 lbs) and is a disruptive defender with some positional versatility. He previously spent time at defensive tackle with the New York Jets and finished last season with seven sacks, eight tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits.”
Despite his stats, Franklin-Myers is likely expendable on the Broncos after they had 6 players register at least 5.0 sacks in 2024 and led the NFL with 63.0 sacks.
He’s also the right price for what he could bring the Eagles — he’s in the final year of the 2-year, $15 million contract extension he signed with the Broncos in April 2024, which is scheduled to pay him $8 million this season.
While the Eagles usually build their offensive and defensive lines via the draft, they might not want to roll the dice on a rookie replacing Williams’ production. The Eagles are perfectly built to have a chance at winning a second consecutive Super Bowl — Franklin-Myers might fit perfectly in exchange for a mid-round pick.
Broncos See Writing on the Wall for Franklin-Myers
Behind the scenes, the Broncos need to find a way to pay NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl edge rusher Nik Bonitto, who led the team with 13.5 sacks in 2024 and established himself as one of the NFL’s elite defensive players. Now, he’ll need to be paid like one and his contract could exceed $100 million in total value.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggested the Broncos replace Franklin-Myers in the 2025 NFL draft in anticipation of Bonitto’s looming windfall.
“Bonitto, (Zach) Allen and Franklin-Myers are instrumental to what they do on the defensive front, but paying all of them could get pricey.” Ballentine wrote. “Franklin-Myers feels like the odd man out. Bonitto gives them a true threat off the edge, and Allen has been more productive and well-rounded than Franklin-Myers. He brings a somewhat unique skill set to the table, but the Broncos might be able to find a facsimile in a prospect like Jared Ivey.”
Allen, who plays the same position as Franklin-Myers, is coming off his first NFL All-Pro selection in 2024 and is in the final season of the 3-year, $47.75 million free agent contract he signed with the Broncos in March 2023.
Frankin-Myers could set himself up for a massive payday with one more good year. Sweat played 2024 on a 1-year, $10 million contract, led the Eagles in sacks and signed a 4-year, $76.4 million free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals on March 10.
