Sean Franklin’s 2017 season was a departure from the norm. For the first time since 2009 he played in fewer than 20 matches, appearing just 19 times in an injury-shortened season. He also began this season playing center back after having played right back for most of his career. The unusual circumstances make it more difficult to rate his season and determine whether he should be a part of this team going forward.
We learned that Ben Olsen wanted to see Sean Franklin at center back in the preseason, when he said “[Franklin] is a lot stronger than people give him credit for.