The Denver Broncos may get stuck in some tough financial decisions later this year or before the 2026 season starts. The Broncos have several big names set to hit free agency next season, and they won’t be able to pay them all.
One of the players who could end up being allowed to test the open market is John Franklin-Myers. With Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto all vying for new contracts, Franklin-Myers could be one of the odd men out, even if he duplicates the solid 2024 season he had.
The Broncos gave up a sixth-round pick for Franklin-Myers, who ended up being a tremendous addition to the defense. In his first season in Denver, he registered a career-high seven sacks.
But the Broncos could look to trade him during the season or even before it starts, perhaps envisioning it being difficult to sign him later down the road.
Coby Leibowitz of Athlon Sports sees that being a possibility, creating a scenario in which the Broncos would send Franklin-Myers to the Detroit Lions in exchange for former first-round pick Jameson Williams.
Here’s how the full trade would look:
Broncos receive: WR Jameson Williams, 4th-round pick
Lions receive: DL John Franklin-Myers, WR Devaughn Vele, 2nd-round pick, 6th-round pick
“The draft picks do not matter as the Broncos will begin to have Super Bowl aspirations over the next few seasons, and at that point, they will want veterans rather than rookies. The Broncos with Williams are one of the most complete teams in the league, and with Sean Payton at the helm of it all, the possibilities for Williams are endless.
Williams is nearing the end of his contract, and the Lions already have a lot of money invested in Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph and others”, wrote Leibowitz.
There are some good points made in Leibowitz’s pitch, but Broncos fans may see that proposed deal as too rich, especially having to part with Devaughn Vele in the deal. Vele was stellar for a seventh-round pick last season and seems to be part of the future build in Denver.
Williams is a dynamic wide receiver and is capable of being one of the most potent deep threats in the league with his speed. He is coming off his first 1,000-yard season in the league and could be a great weapon for Sean Payton’s offense.
The Broncos would be giving up a lot to get him, but if the team feels its not going to be able to re-sign Franklin-Myers and a deal like this could net a player like Williams, it could be a shot worth taking.
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