Beyond what he provided on the field, John Franklin-Myers left behind a vacant position in the Jets’ locker room.
The Jets traded defensive end Franklin-Myers to the Broncos this past offseason in exchange for a sixth-round pick after he had spent four seasons with the team.
A fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2018, the Jets originally claimed Franklin-Myers off waivers and he subsequently emerged as one of the most popular players in the locker room as well as one of the most important along the defensive line.
this season. AP
Last year, he started all 17 games and recorded 3.5 sacks, 33 total tackles and six tackles for loss.
He will get his first crack at his former side on Sunday when the Jets host the Broncos.
“He’s such a cool story, got a lot of appreciation for him,” head coach Robert Saleh said before practice on Friday. “Gets cut from the Rams, comes here, he’s kind of hanging on by a thread, and we show up and don’t know him from anything, and he attacked every single day. He turned into a big part of our defense, a genuine leader, and someone we looked to as a guy who was basically the ambassador of violence for our defense, so a lot of love for JFM, and big shoes to fill.”
So, with Franklin-Myers gone, who now carries the “ambassador of violence” title?
That would be Micheal Clemons, who has replaced Franklin-Myers at one of the defensive end spots.
“Everything he does is violent, from start to finish,” superstar defensive tackle Quinnen Williams told The Post on Friday about Clemons. “He’s having a great start, and it can only get better from there.”
Clemons has delivered mixed results.
He’s recorded 1.5 sacks, four total tackles and two quarterback hits.
He owns a 56.3 overall grade Pro Football Focus.
Williams himself arrived the Jets one season before Franklin-Myers and the two developed a tight bond.
Both were among the loudest voices in the Jets’ locker room, particularly on defense.
“He means a lot to me, personally,” Williams said. “I was young coming in, he was young, we kind of grew together, got better together, really turned into brothers. He’s an amazing football player, going to have an amazing career. He was the ambassador of violence. To see him on the other side of the ball is going to be super dope.
“I’ve been in this league a little minute. I know they’re not dead or anything like that. I just know a team got a great player.”