The Tennessee Titans acquired pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II in a trade with the New York Jets in exchange for nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. In Tennessee, Johnson will reunite with various familiar faces who coached him in East Rutherford. Titans head coach Robert Saleh and defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton previously helped oversee his development with the Jets.
Even Titans assistant defensive line coach Tanzel Smart was Johnson's teammate in New York. Apparently, that's not enough familiarity for Johnson. He recently took to social media to help recruit a pending free agent to Tennessee.
Johnson tagged defensive lineman John-Franklin Myers on Twitter/X with the caption, "Next Wednesday coming soon." Johnson is referring to the start of NFL free agency (March 11). The Titans have been strongly linked to signing Franklin-Myers.
New Titans DE Jermaine Johnson II attempts to recruit John Franklin-Myers to Tennessee
Franklin-Myers and Johnson were teammates with the Jets for two seasons (2022-23). Saleh and Whitecotton also coached Franklin-Myers throughout those years. The aforementioned Smart, who is now coaching in Nashville, played on those same 2022-23 defensive lines.
Franklin-Myers should possess legitimate interest in reuniting with so many former teammates and coaches in Tennessee. After hardly getting on an NFL field throughout his first three NFL campaigns, his ascension aligned with Saleh's arrival. Saleh's first season in charge of the Jets (2021) saw Franklin-Myers break out to record six sacks.
Franklin-Myers notched another five sacks throughout 2022, Johnson's first year in the league. There's no denying that Franklin-Myers was one of Johnson's first big-league mentors. It wouldn't be surprising if the pair possessed interest in aligning on another defensive line coached by Saleh and Whitecotton.
The Titans still need pass-rushing help next to Jeffery Simmons despite trading for Johnson. As things stand, Saleh is overly reliant on unproven edge rushers like Femi Oladejo and Jaylen Harrell. Bringing in the proven, reliable Franklin-Myers would address that.
Defense was never the Jets' issue when Saleh and Whitecotton were coaching them. Rebuilding a defensive line in Tennessee that would reunite Johnson with Franklin-Myers is a shrewd idea. Johnson is certainly into it, as proven by his social media activity.