Von Miller

Broncos Rumors: Miller, Sanders, Marshall

June 10th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The six-year, $114.5MM offer from the Broncos that linebacker Von Miller is unwilling to accept actually includes a $58MM injury guarantee at signing, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio adds that the remainder of the $58MM would become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2018 league year. The Broncos, therefore, would have the chance to cut the reigning Super Bowl MVP loose after two seasons without any serious repercussions. Miller, however, would like the first three years of the deal guaranteed to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Here’s more on Miller and two of his Denver teammates:

The exact figure Miller wants over the first three years of his next deal is $70MM, which is the biggest stumbling block in negotiations between him and the Broncos, according to Florio. The Broncos are only willing to guarantee Miller $39.5MM over two years, and Florio doesn’t expect a resolution until right before the July 15 deadline for the team and its franchise player to work out a long-term agreement. That’s if a deal comes at all, of course, which doesn’t look promising at the moment.
Miller isn’t the only high-profile Bronco entering a contract year: Both receiver Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall are slated to hit free agency after the upcoming season. The team is engaged in contract talks with the pair, reports Mike Klis of 9News, who writes that Sanders’ agent, Todd France, recently sent the Broncos a counteroffer. “I want to retire a Bronco,” Sanders told 9News’ Rod Mackey. “I think everyone wants to know, but it’s all about being able to say, ‘I’m getting paid what I put out.’’ Negotiations in Marshall’s case are more advanced, per Klis, who notes that the defender’s deadline to sign his restricted free agent tender for 2016 is Wednesday. If Marshall doesn’t sign the tender, the Broncos will have a chance to reduce his deal from $2.553MM to a 10 percent raise over the $585K he made last season. Nevertheless, Klis expects Denver to award Marshall the $2.553MM even if he doesn’t put pen to paper by the tender deadline.
For in-depth analysis on what a Marshall extension might look like, check out this piece by PFR’s Sam Robinson.

Von Miller Rumors: Thursday

June 9th, 2016 at 4:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Star pass rusher Von Miller was prepared to accept the Broncos’ six-year, $114.5MM offer on Monday night, but the deal fell apart over guaranteed money, reports Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. While the linebacker softened on his desire to land $22MM annually by showing he’d take $19MM per season, Denver was only willing to include $38.5MM in guarantees and the team would’ve been able to easily escape the contract after Year 2. Miller could’ve netted another $1.3MM in non-guaranteed money during each of the first two seasons, but that obviously wasn’t an enticing enough add-on for him to accept the offer. As noted by Robinson, at $38.5MM in guarantees, the Broncos’ offer falls well short of the $60MM the Dolphins gave Ndamukong Suh last year and the $52.5MM the Giants awarded Olivier Vernon earlier this offseason. Miller is a four-time All-Pro and the reigning Super Bowl MVP, whereas Vernon has never so much as made a Pro Bowl.

The reason the Broncos are playing hardball with Miller, according to Robinson, is because they still have control over him via the franchise tag. As an exclusive tag recipient, the 27-year-old Miller doesn’t even have the ability to negotiate a deal with another team. With that in mind, the Broncos have shut down negotiations with Miller, which Robinson notes is an unusual tactic for the club. In recent years, the Broncos showed a willingness to hammer out new contracts with receiver Demaryius Thomas and left tackle Ryan Clady, respectively, into the middle of July. As of now, that isn’t the case with Miller, which has led to an ugly situation that could see the two sides head for a divorce over the next year.

Here’s more of the latest on Miller:

Either forgoing this year’s franchise sum of $14.1MM or the $38.5MM in guarantees the Broncos have offered Miller would carry notable risk for the defender, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Miller sits the season out, he’d be leaving significant money on the table with no hope of getting it back. Further, it’s not a sure thing that Miller would receive a better offer from Denver or anyone else in 2017. As reported earlier today, though, the Broncos won’t be able to use the exclusive tag again on Miller if he sits out this season. They could place the non-exclusive version on him next year, but a team that signs Miller to an offer sheet not matched by Denver would only have to surrender a first- and third-round pick (not the traditional two first-rounders) for his services.
Despite the negative turn negotiations have taken, head coach Gary Kubiak is “still optimistic” that a long-term deal with Miller will get done this summer (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today). “Both sides are working hard,” Kubiak said.
Ed Werder of ESPN has further details on Denver’s offer, reporting (on Twitter) that the $4.5MM extra the team is willing to give Miller would come via an annual workout bonus. Miller would have to partake in 95 percent of workouts in order to collect that money.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Breer On RGIII, Miller, Foles, Geno Smith

June 9th, 2016 at 12:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Some would say that RGIII is coming to Cleveland with baggage, but new Browns coach Hue Jackson wouldn’t agree.

“I said this to all the players: Everybody’s slate is clean,” Jackson said, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. “You always want to give guys the benefit of the doubt coming in, and I have not seen, heard or felt any negativity out of him. That’s the only Robert Griffin I know. He’s been an ideal teammate, a hard worker, he wants to please his coaches and he’s followed directions. That’s all I know.”

Griffin started out red hot with the Redskins before injuries and in-fighting led to his downfall. Eventually, the Redskins found their new franchise quarterback in Kirk Cousins while Griffin was on the outside looking in. Because of the stop-and-start nature of the last few years, Jackson & Co. know that they have a lot of work to do when it comes to the Baylor product.

“I’m not gonna say he’s raw, but he is still developing. And most young quarterbacks are still developing,” Jackson said. “I’d give coach (Mike) Shanahan and his son a lot of credit—he came into the league and they fashioned an offense for him that worked for him. And I’d give him credit too, coming out of the Baylor system, without the traditional footwork you play with, he produced right away. Those guys were able to mesh together a great season, but all that is in his past. It’s about mastering the quarterback position now. Mastery of how to play the position is the key to his success.”

Here’s more from Breer’s column:

Here’s an interesting twist to the Von Miller saga. As previously reported, if Miller opts to sit out the 2016 season, the Broncos will only be able to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on him and will not have the exclusive franchise tag at their disposal. Typically, a team that is able to pry a player away on the non-exclusive tag would have to forfeit two first-round picks to the former team. However, if Miller were to sit out, a union source tells Breer that the compensation price would drop from two first-round picks to a first and a third. I imagine that there are some teams that would at least consider forfeiting two first-round choices to land Miller, regarded as one of the best defensive talents in the game. If the price drops to a first- and third-round choice, I think that market opens up even more. Of course, any team that would sign Miller to an offer sheet would also be giving him a $100MM+ deal with significant guarantees.
The Rams have yet to trade Nick Foles because they believe that his trade value could increase a bit once training camp begins, Breer hears. At that point, rival teams will have injuries under center and other clubs may find that their backups aren’t coming along as planned.
While there is some feeling inside the Jets that they could get by with Geno Smith, many outside of the organization are skeptical. “I think they’ll struggle if [Geno is] the guy,” one rival defensive coach told Breer. “Too inconsistent, stares guys down, average at reading defenses, makes poor decisions. … Fitz is much smarter, more accurate, and a better leader.”
Former Baylor coach Art Briles has been linked to NFL jobs in the past but it seems unlikely that he would be in the mix for a job right now following the program’s recent scandal. However, there are factors beyond those events that could keep Briles from getting a chance in the pros. “The big-picture stuff, he’s good at,” said one AFC scout. “The detail is why his offense would fail in the NFL. His offense at Baylor is not detailed—we’re gonna play tempo, we’re gonna play fast, and we’ll get you with our speed and just out-athlete you because our guys don’t have to think and your guys do.”
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Von Miller Notes: Wednesday

June 8th, 2016 at 6:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

An offseason spent making the media rounds and dancing in various costumes gave way to some firm contract talks for Von Miller on Wednesday. The Broncos offered their superstar pass-rusher a six-year, $114.5MM contract only to see the sixth-year linebacker turn it down. The team quickly pulled the offer.

As for what’s next: Miller could be the first Bronco in the John Elway era to play a season on a franchise tag, albeit an exclusive tag that rose from $14.13MM to $14.26MM after the RFA period closed on April 22 (Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets), or come to grips with the fact that the Broncos probably aren’t going to increase that offer much.

Denver’s proposal, which contained $39.8MM in fully guaranteed money, surpassed Ndamukong Suh‘s 2015 Dolphins pact in total value and would make the 27-year-old Miller the highest-paid defender. Miller may, however, be angling for an increase in full guarantees — Suh’s deal contained $59.5MM in full guarantees, far more than elite quarterbacks received on their recent extensions — and could push for the Broncos to inflate those figures past three years’ worth of franchise tags, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.

The 2017 tag would pay Miller $16.92MM, with the ’18 tag at $24.36MM, per Florio, for a three-year total of $55.38MM. Miller’s team has not leaked its demands yet, although we heard earlier this offseason Miller wanted a $22MM-AAV deal that compared to the top-flight QB extensions. However, as Corry points out (on Twitter), Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco and Marcell Dareus. received $44.5MM, $44MM and $42.9MM, respectively, upon signing their mammoth accords, so it’s unlikely the Broncos pay the Suh price at signing for a player with whom they have exclusive negotiating rights as opposed to Miami’s situation with then-UFA Suh.

Elway’s used the franchise tag on three players since becoming GM in 2011 — Matt Prater in 2012, Ryan Clady in ’13 and Demaryius Thomas last year — and each agreed to extensions before the July 15 deadline, Thomas doing so on July 15, 2015. That’s probably where this is headed.

Here’s the latest on Miller.

Corry argues the Broncos should permit the third year of Miller’s deal become fully guaranteed in February of the second year as is the case in Thomas’ contract (Twitter link). Thomas signed a five-year, $70MM last summer and is the only current Bronco set to make more than Miller this season in the form of a $15.2MM cap number. Thomas received $35MM guaranteed at signing. Corry maintains (on Twitter) there sufficient framework exists for the Broncos and Miller to find common ground by July 15.
The lack of a franchise quarterback salary on Denver’s books for what could be as long as four years helps the Broncos be able to frontload Miller’s deal, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com writes. The Broncos commonly use this tactic to avoid high guarantees in veterans’ later years — as is the case in Aqib Talib‘s six-year deal, which will pay out most of the remaining guarantees in Year 3 this fall. They stand to possess an NFL-most $65.3MM in cap space in 2017, so deals for Miller, Brandon Marshall and Emmanuel Sanders aren’t unrealistic. Not paying Brock Osweiler $18MM+ per year and instead drafting Paxton Lynch provides an opening for more veteran extensions.

Broncos Pull Contract Offer From Von Miller

June 8th, 2016 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

2:09pm: Talks between Miller and the Broncos are still ongoing and have not broken off, a team source tells James Palmer of NFL Network (on Twitter).

1:42pm: Earlier today, we learned that Von Miller turned down a proposed a six-year, $114.5MM deal with $39.8MM guaranteed in the first two years. Now that Miller has said no to that pact, the Broncos have effectively pulled that proposal from the table, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. The Broncos set a deadline of 10 p.m. Tuesday to reach an agreement on a long-term contract with Miller, and it remains to be seen whether those discussions will be reopened this offseason.

Miller, who was the MVP of Denver’s Super Bowl 50 win in February, is slated to play out the 2016 campaign on the $14.129MM exclusive franchise tag. The two sides recently “reached a partial agreement” on the years and total value of Miller’s proposed contract, but the two sides disagreed when it came to contract structure. The total value of that deal would have edged out Ndamukong Suh, but it appears that Miller’s reps wanted more guaranteed money inside of the deal’s first three seasons.

Klis writes that Miller’s reps pushed both Suh’s contract and Olivier Vernon‘s deal as comps. Vernon inked a $17MM/year deal with the Giants this offseason and also received $29MM in year one cash. Miller has posted 25 sacks over the past two seasons compared to Vernon’s 14. In total, Miller has posted four double-figure sack seasons while Vernon has accomplished that only once (2013, 11.5 sacks).

Klis notes that it’s not a given that Miller will play out this season under the franchise tag, though I would certainly expect him to. In theory, if Miller were to sit out the 2016 season, it would prevent the Broncos from again applying the “exclusive” franchise tag next year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Von Miller, Broncos

June 8th, 2016 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 12:15pm: The Broncos proposed a six-year, $114.5MM deal to Miller that includes $39.8MM guaranteed in the first two years, sources close to Denver tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). That’s apparently not to Miller’s liking, however, and there is no deal in sight at this time. Never say never, but Schefter (Twitter link) says it will be very difficult for Denver and Von Miller to reach long-term agreement by the July 15 deadline.

TUESDAY, 10:10am: During his visit to the White House this week, Von Miller told reporters that the Broncos and his representation have made real progress over the last couple of days regarding a new contract, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. The two sides have been discussing a new deal for quite some time and it seems like an accord could finally be within reach.

In March, the Broncos slapped Miller with the seldom-used exclusive franchise tag, a measure which kept him from negotiating with other teams. Under the usual non-exclusive franchise tag, other teams can negotiate with players but they have to surrender two first-round picks in order to sign the tagged player to an unmatched offer sheet. It’s rare that a team will surrender big bucks and two first-round choices for a player, but Miller is one of the league’s most feared linebackers and it’s conceivable that a team desperate for pass rush help could have gone to those lengths.

The Broncos have until July 15 to sign Miller to a long-term extension that will likely approach or perhaps surpass the deal Ndamukong Suh signed with the Dolphins last March. Suh earns $19.06MM on average and signed for six years and $114.38MM. Miller will also likely point to Olivier Vernon as a comp after he netted a $17MM-AAV deal with the Giants this offseason. Miller has posted 25 sacks over the past two seasons compared to Vernon’s 14 and has four double-figure sack seasons on his resume compared to Vernon’s one. As of this writing, Miller is slated to earn $14.129MM in 2016 before hitting free agency.

Recently, Broncos GM John Elway expressed hope that he could get deals done for Miller, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and linebacker Brandon Marshall by mid-July.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Marshall, Sanders

June 2nd, 2016 at 10:54am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday night, Broncos GM John Elway spoke with Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter) about contract talks for linebacker Brandon Marshall, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and defensive ace Von Miller. Elway says that he has gone back and forth with the agents for Marshall and Sanders but has no real update with regards to Miller. The GM says that he has a goal date in mind for all three deals.

“The ideal thing would be to get all three of them done (by mid-July). That’s the goal. That would be nice if we could do that,” Elway said (link).

Here’s more from the AFC West:

Now entering his contract year, it’s time for Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram to put his money where his talent is, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes. Last season, Ingram notched at least one sack in each of the team’s final five games. If he can produce across a full season in 2016, he’ll be in line for a major payday, whether it be from San Diego or elsewhere.
Non-union construction workers are frustrated with the latest proposal for a new Chargers stadium in San Diego, David Garrick of U-T San Diego writes. It’s not immediately clear whether these non-union laborers would have any ability to stand in the way of the proposal as it’s currently put together.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told ESPN that she has yet to discuss gambling regulations in the process of luring the Raiders (link via PFT). There has been some speculation that the city would be asked to restrict sports books from taking bets on games played in Las Vegas. “We’ve had years and years of experience in how to set regulations and enforce them. But I really don’t believe it’s going to be an issue for us at all,” she said. “At this point, the first step is to work through those numbers to make sure we can get a stadium built, do it high quality and most importantly in the right location.”
Earlier this week, we rounded up some more news on the Broncos.

AFC Rumors: Slauson, Chargers, Bills, V. Miller

May 5th, 2016 at 7:58pm CST by Zachary Links

All along, Matt Slauson has planned on visiting both the Chargers and the Bills and he will not rush his decision, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. After wrapping up his visit with San Diego on Wednesday, the center/guard is now meeting with team brass in Buffalo. Slauson doesn’t have a deal with the Bolts yet, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything one way or the other.

Here’s more out of the AFC:

Contract talks are at a standstill between Von Miller and the Broncos, but the Super Bowl MVP says that he doesn’t plan on going anywhere. “I’m going to be here in Denver no matter what,” Miller said, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post writes. “The contract is going to take care of itself. I’m going to be a Denver Bronco for life.” Miller, who was hit with the franchise tag, is not expected to take part in team workouts this week.
Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona “may have to leave the Patriots for a year or so,” a Navy official told The Dan Patrick Show (transcript via ESPN.com). The second-year player has been assigned to a ship, which prompted New England to sign free agent long snapper Christian Yount.
Chiefs rookie return specialist Tyreek Hill will not be subject to NFL discipline upon entering the league but could be considered a repeat offender under its conduct policy if he is involved in another incident of domestic violence, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. The fifth-round choice out of West Alabama pleaded guilty in August 2015 to a domestic abuse incident involving his pregnant girlfriend. The policy only applies when the player’s first infraction occurs while the player is in the NFL. However, the league will not hesitate to hit Hill with advanced punishment if another incident takes place.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Wilkerson, Ravens, Fins

April 29th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Having traded up on Thursday night to nab Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Broncos may now be in a better position to negotiate a long-term deal with star pass rusher Von Miller, suggests Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Lynch’s rookie contract will likely call for cap hits that range from about $1.7MM in 2016 to $3MM by his fourth year in 2019, meaning Denver may not have much money tied up in the quarterback position for the next few years. While a Broncos source who spoke to Cole cautioned that the team still needs to make sure it has room to extend players like wideout Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall, there’s some optimism between the team and Miller’s camp that a long-term pact can eventually be reached.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Jets have in fact fielded calls on Muhammad Wilkerson in recent weeks, but no serious suitors emerged, according to sources who spoke with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. On Thursday night, GM Mike Maccagnan confirmed that a Wilkerson deal is now unlikely.
Kevin Byrne of BaltimoreRavens.com takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Ravens‘ process last night as their No. 6 pick approached, including how the Laremy Tunsil video affected the team’s decision. Meanwhile, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald examines the thinking of the team that did take Tunsil, at No. 13: the Dolphins.
The NFL’s stance on having a franchise in Las Vegas is “evolving,” per commissioner Roger Goodell, but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that the league still wouldn’t want a team like the Raiders to have any part-owners who have a stake in a Vegas casino.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com explores the Browns‘ day-one draft decisions, noting that plenty of execs around the league are skeptical about the team’s approach and the selection of Baylor wideout Corey Coleman.
Houston defensive tackle Tomme Mark got calls from the Chargers and Raiders and has drawn interest from Texans as a late-rounder or a priority free agent, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Broncos Rumors: Kaepernick, Hoyer, Miller

April 21st, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Trade talks between the Broncos and the 49ers regarding Colin Kaepernick are “dormant,” GM John Elway told reporters (Twitter link via James Palmer of NFL.com). However, he added that there is an offer on the table.

Here’s the latest out of Denver:

The Broncos are interested in signing Brian Hoyer, but they’re not in a rush to get a deal done, as Michael David Smith of PFT writes. “We had a good visit but he’s got another trip lined up. It’s a possibility. He’s a good football player. We wanted to have him in, meet him and get to know him a little bit. But nothing to report there,” Elway said.
The Broncos (and the Jets) remain interested in Hoyer, but both teams have a few balls in the air, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Each side will take a few days to think things over, so we shouldn’t expect Hoyer to sign with anyone today.
Elway said the status of negotiations with Von Miller is “not nearly as bad” as it has has been portrayed in the media lately (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today)
When asked about Miller holding out, Elway said “This is all voluntary. If Von chooses to be here, then great. You always hope that everybody is here,” (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post).
Elway said there have been contract proposals exchanged with Miller, and now that draft meetings are winding down, the two sides will have more time to talk (Twitter link via Jones).

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