The Broncos have agreed to trade Von Miller to the Rams (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). In exchange, the Rams will send a second-round draft pick and a third-round selection in upcoming draft. 
The Broncos will assume $9MM of Miller’s remaining salary, allowing the future Hall of Famer to squeeze under the Rams’ salary cap. That also enabled the Broncos to score a much larger haul than they would have otherwise.
The ten-year veteran missed all of 2020 with an ankle injury, prompting the Broncos to ask him for a pay cut earlier this year. Instead, the Broncos exercised his option to guarantee much of his $18MM salary. He’s still on course for unrestricted free agency next year, but he was hoping to finish out the season in Denver.
“I have totally bought into being a Coloradoan for life, let alone a Denver Bronco,” Miller said on Instagram in March. “I want to be here forever, through the thick, the thin, the Super Bowl seasons, the losing seasons. I want to be here forever.”
The Broncos improved to .500 on the year with yesterday’s win over the Washington Football Team, but GM George Paton chose to bolster his long-term prospects by trading Miller. As noted by Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter link), the Broncos would have only received a compensatory 2023 fifth-round pick by allowing Miller to leave via free agency. Instead, they’ve scored a pair of valuable Day 2 picks for the upcoming draft — a clear upgrade for 2022 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Miller will provide a serious boost to the Rams’ already star-studded defense. Even at the age of 32, Miller still has plenty left in the tank, as shown by his performance in September. Miller opened the year with four sacks across the first three weeks of the season to notch AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors. Meanwhile, he’s started in all seven of his games, bringing his career total to 142. All in all, the Super Bowl 50 MVP has 110.5 career sacks to his credit to lead the Broncos’ all-time list.
The Rams will now deploy Miller alongside Aaron Donald on the defensive line, in front of a secondary headlined by Jalen Ramsey. He’ll make his debut at home on Sunday when the Rams face the 6-2 Titans.
I admire the Rams thinking. Go big. Maybe it pays off in the playoffs, but it’ll certainly payoff at the bank. Ramsey, Miller, and Stafford jerseys are flying off the shelves.
If it doesn’t pay off this year, it could be a disaster. They’re giving up draft picks like Halloween candy. Win or lose, what’s the plan going forward? Fill out the roster with undrafted free agents for the next 4 years?
It’s exactly what happened with Seattle
I’d take being exactly where Seattle is if it means we get a couple rings out of it…
They haven’t had a 1st round pick since 2016 and people swear it’s going to catch up to them. If it hasn’t yet, it won’t. Guaranteed stars help the roster more than rookie. Ramsey and Stafford are more valuable than 4 late 1st rounders
You act like the Rams have been in the Super Bowl every year since 2016. They only went once and scored three points. Yes, there are questions that are valid as to whether growing their own players more often could help actually push them over.
The Rams have been to the playoffs every year since 2016 and the only time they didn’t, they were 9-7. I’m not saying every team should do this. You have to be in the right situation and the Rams clearly are. You can’t tell us with a straight face that two laye 1st round picks was not worth getting terrible Jared Goff out of town and replacing him with a top 5 QB. You can’t tell me Ramsey is less valuable than whoever you can take late in the 1st. Look at the corners taken in the 2020 1st round. Okudah looked terrible. The one the Vikings took has already been released. Even their 1st rounder for Cooks ended up being fantastic because it eventually turned into Van Jefferson. The Dolphins just spent 2 top 10 picks on Jaylen Waddle. Rams know what they are doing.
I disagree. I think they lean entirely on the talent of their individual star players and replace good drafting and roster depth with flashy moves that rely too much on stars from other teams.
They are a team much more vulnerable to injury drop off than most because of it. McVay is a good coach, but they should do even better than they have because their GM is and always has been terrible. Remember, Les Snead has been there much longer than McVay, and certainly longer than their current run of success-which only conveniently began after their move to LA prompted Kroenke to actually try to win with his team.
They’ve been good, certainly, but they should be better and certainly should have won that Super Bowl. I do expect more from them because, in my opinion, it doesn’t take much skill to just trade all of your picks for stars. It does take skill to draft and build depth, an area that has hurt the Rams when injuries hit. That’s what has kept them from winning the big one when they’ve been close enough to do so, instead of just getting to the playoffs.
Last time the Rams had a 1st round pick, they traded up for Goff. They’ll figure it out. Their record says so.
What lol. Rams overpaid. 2nd and 3rd round pick for a guy whos a free agent end of the year?
The Broncos are also paying $9 million of the remaining $9.5 million of Miller’s salary this year. That certainly evens the trade out a bit. It’s Von Miller + $9 million for a 2nd and a 3rd.
So Denver is essentially paying his entire salary this year despite trading him mid-season.
Meanwhile the Rams gave up 2 generally valuable draft picks for half a season of a clearly past his prime Miller who they really need to hope also goes all in for the rest of this year. Otherwise, they get to say “at least we didn’t have to pay him much” if it doesn’t work out.
Past his prime? Dude just won defensive player of the month
What did he do last year?
And he’s 32. Yeah, I’d say he’s past his prime.
If this is part of a rebuild it doesn’t bode well for Vangio and Shurmur. Looks like Paton is more under than over for the rest of the season for the Broncos. Either that or they know enough about Von’s health to let him go.
If a rebuild us what Broncos are doing, Lick should be starting at QB. Noodle arm Teddy us a solid back up nothing mire. Lock has great upside,, start him and let’s see what he can do.
Be a wasted trade when he gets hurt again in a week. Was a beast, but he’s made of glass
Would be great to see him resign with the Broncos in the off season.
WOW Just WOW
So, they passed on drafting Mac Jones when they had the chance. Now, they’re in complete rebuild mode before the midpoint of the season. And one of the worst QB draft classes in recent history is upcoming. Complete incompetence by Paton in his handling of this. If you’re going to rebuild, you have to do it around a good, young QB.
Surtan’s a great player, but like the one thing they did not need was more DB’s because they already had a great one.
The Lions, Eagles, and potentially the Giants (depending on the rest of their season and GM situation) could be drafting a QB ahead of them, too. I’m sure there are others, that’s just off the top of my head. Falcons? Broncos could have anywhere from 1-4 of the teams ahead of them drafting a QB.
Miller is so overrated, does nothing but chase the QB, make a tackle once in a while.
On a line with Donald and Floyd his mere existence is enough
How did Peyton win that Super Bowl with half an arm?
Towhomthetrolltrolledtoomuch….how are you alive with half a brain????
Um, what do you think a linebacker does?
They are going all in this year, trading their future to win now.
If they win a super bowl it’ll be worth it
I wonder if Denver and the saints could work out something good for both sides, bridgewater for a 4th and 7th maybe? He hasn’t been great but he was good in Nola before
Wow can’t believe they gave up those 2 picks for Miller. Maybe in the past and more but now. I give credit to the Broncos they fleeced the Rams.
If the Broncos can get some value with those picks then eating $9MM is probably worth it. I’m not sure what the Rams expect of Miller but I don’t see him moving the needle much for them.
Can’t say the Rams aren’t trying.
The rams aren’t trying. Boom.
What have the Broncos given up if they were to hypothetically try signing him back in free agency next year?
If Donald can make Clowney look somewhat competent then Miller is going to be inducted into the Los Angeles Rams Hall of Fame by week 13.
When did Clowney play with Aaron Donald?
On Madden probably.
Rams dont like draft picks
Rams don’t need draft picks until the sixth round anyways.
Denver better hit on these picks. I’m not sure who else is going to step up in that locker room. No matter where Miller is physically, there’s not really a team leader that stands out in the Broncos’ lineup right now. Kareem Jackson may on the way out as well, which makes this harder.
+1, he’s the heart and soul of the Broncos.
since mcvay became coach the rams have yet to make a pick in the 1st round and are 50-22 which is only behind new orleans and kansas city for overall records during that time. yes, zero super bowls but with stafford as qb they are actually in a better position now than ever even after not having a 1st round pick for the last 5 seasons. actually high draft capital almost got les snead fired during the jeff fisher years. multiple 1st round picks for years and at the end of the day fisher got the boot and if the rams wouldn’t have hired a young pup like mcvay instead of a proven coach who would want more say in player personnel, snead would have been shitcanned as well and ALL those first round picks were a waste.
Rams truly going all in to win one SB.
The Broncos should have let Miller walk a few years ago and re-signed Shaq Barrett instead..
I think the broncos are loading up so they lure Aaron Rodgers there in the offseason. I mean its a possibility if GB flames out again. Denver knows how to build around veteran qbs and imo them selling tells me they could care less about drafting a QB.