In NFL free agency, you can always count on coaching connections and the three degrees of separation coming into play. In fact, familiarity is maybe the second biggest factor behind cold hard cash when it comes to luring free agents from one destination to another.
And the Buffalo Bills may have just given themselves a huge advantage in the potential bidding war for one of the top free agent defensive linemen on the market.
New head coach Joe Brady hired Jim Leonhard as his new defensive coordinator after Leonhard spent the past two seasons under Vance Joseph on the Denver Broncos' defensive staff. And it just so happens the Broncos have a very notable presence on the defensive front about to hit free agency.
Bills could lure John Franklin-Myers in free agency after Jim Leonhard hire
The Bills are going young in a variety of ways. It's a new wave in Buffalo after the decision to fire Sean McDermott following the team's disappointing playoff loss against the Denver Broncos. And it was the Broncos who forced five turnovers against the Buffalo defense, including four off of star quarterback Josh Allen.
Not only did the Bills recognize what the Broncos did to them in the postseason, but Joe Brady is plucking from the same tree he's a branch of. Brady was first discovered out of Penn State as a grad assistant by Sean Payton while Payton was with the New Orleans Saints.
And as a matter of fact, while the Bills were still conducting their head coaching search, Payton tried to steal Brady away from Buffalo to come to the Denver staff.
Instead, Brady has been picking from his staff, including stealing the coveted Jim Leonhard.
Now, who will follow Leonhard from Denver to Buffalo?
One of the top free agents set to potentially depart from that vaunted Denver Broncos' pass rush is veteran defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. Franklin-Myers has been a model of consistency all throughout his NFL career with a per-17 game average of five sacks and 14 quarterback hits. He's barely missed a game since 2020, and his steady presence could be exactly what the Bills' porous defensive front needs.
Buffalo took a shot on a number of players in free agency last offseason that didn't end up paying dividends. And they have a number of other guys, including AJ Epenesa, Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips, and DaQuan Jones set to hit free agency.
A player like Franklin-Myers following Leonhard from the Mile High City to Buffalo could make a ton of sense, and would be a huge splash for that Buffalo defensive front.