Broncos add Sam Franklin Jr. for special teams presence, safety depth
Apr 8, 2025, 5:02 PM
Sam Franklin Jr. can add veteran presence to a Broncos safety corps that could use a little more of it.
But the six-year veteran’s role is more likely as a core special-teamer than anything else.
Franklin, who agreed to terms with the Broncos on Tuesday — The 33rd Team was first to report the move — spent the last five seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He played in 74 games for the Panthers over five seasons, making nine starts. Four of those came in his rookie season of 2020; four more came in 2023.
Franklin played in a career-high 289 defensive snaps in 2023, but saw just four defensive snaps last season.
With P.J. Locke likely projected as the No. 3 safety in the wake of signing Talanoa Hufanga last month, the Broncos’ safety room now become one of the deeper units on the team in terms of veteran experience behind the projected starters.
He will step into a room that also has returning young safeties Devon Key and JL Skinner, the latter of whom was a sixth-round draft pick in 2023. There probably will not be room for Franklin, Key and Skinner on the 53-player roster unless there is an injury.
But the major reason why Franklin is on the roster is because of his potential special-teams role.
In the 10 games he played last season after recovering from a broken foot, he played 84 percent of the special-teams snaps. In the last four seasons, he never took part in fewer than 71 percent of the special-teams snaps during the games he played.
The 2024 season was the first time Franklin failed to play in at least 14 games during a campaign.
As is the case with wide receiver Trent Sherfield, Franklin’s role in that phase will determine his place on the team.
A product of Temple University, Franklin is a converted linebacker who broke into the league as an undrafted prospect in 2020. He turned 29 in February.
