Broncos Submit New Proposal To Von Miller
Following a day full of updates on Friday — during which time the Broncos and general manager John Elway reportedly upped their offer to franchise player Von Miller — Denver has once again increased the compensation in its latest proposal to their star linebacker, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS. The two sides have largely agreed on the framework of a six-year, $114.5MM deal, but Miller and his camp have voiced concerns about the structure and guarantees put forth in the contract.
Earlier reports had indicated that the Broncos agreed to move the date of the full guarantee trigger of Miller’s 2019 proposed base salary up, and Klis adds more details to that subsection of the story, reporting that Denver would transfer that date from 2018 to March of 2017. In other words, Miller’s $19MM base salary in 2019 would become fully guaranteed when the 2017 league year begins, and because it’s extremely unlikely that the club would release Miller before that date, that $19MM would be considered part of an “effective” guarantee.
Miller and his team have traded counteroffers with Broncos management, and he and his agent, Joby Branion, haven’t accepted or rejected the team’s latest proposal, which came on Friday afternoon and included another sweetening of the pot. According to Klis, Miller used last night to consider the proposition, and will further discuss terms with Elway today.
Miller has not been amenable to signing the Broncos’ $14.129MM exclusive franchise tender to this point and could sit out the season in lieu of accepting it. First, though, next Friday’s deadline will have to pass without an agreement between him and the team. Elway, however, has signed each of the three Broncos previously tagged under his watch — Matt Prater (2012), Ryan Clady (2013) and Demaryius Thomas (2015) — and is now aiming to do the same with Miller.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Increase Offer To Von Miller
SATURDAY, 12:10pm: The Broncos and Miller are expected to talk more today, tweets Cole. However, the reporter notes that it’s still “iffy” as to whether Miller will accept the team’s offer.
FRIDAY, 4:39pm: Elway and Branion still haven’t engaged in their scheduled discussion for today, though they are expected to, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio also throws cold water on the notion of the Broncos’ willingness to fully guarantee a non-injury third year earlier (mentioned in the 11:27 a.m. update) being real progress.
2:12pm: The Broncos are currently offering $61MM in guaranteed money as part of a six-year, $114MM contract, according to Cole, though he notes it’s shy of Cox’s $63MM in guarantees and well short of Andrew Luck‘s $87MM (Twitter link).
1:19pm: There remains a wide chasm between the sides, per Rand Getlin of NFL Network (Twitter link), with both guaranteed money and the structure of the contract serving as roadblocks.
12:10pm: Denver still isn’t guaranteeing enough money for Miller’s liking, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Further, Miller’s “extremely upset” with Elway and the Broncos over the public nature of the negotiations, per Cole.
11:27am: The Broncos’ improved offer to Miller comes with a willingness to trigger the non-injury guarantee for the third year earlier than before, tweets Werder.
11:10am: The Broncos submitted an offer with more guaranteed money to Miller on Thursday, according to Mike Klis of 9News.
10:58am: With the clock continuing to tick toward the July 15 deadline for teams to sign franchise-tagged players to new contracts, the Broncos and linebacker Von Miller‘s agent, Joby Branion, will talk over the phone Friday, reports Ed Werder of ESPN. This comes less than a week after general manager John Elway did his best to ease the tensions via phone with Miller, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Elway also had a conversation last weekend with Branion.
The Elway-led Broncos and Miller previously ceased communication after the sides could not agree on total guaranteed money in a long-term deal last month. Denver presented Miller a six-year, $114.5MM offer that satisfied the pass-rushing force in both contract length and total value, but it fell way short of his asking price in guaranteed cash. The previous proposal contained $39.8MM in full guarantees, a sum worth less than defensive tackle’s Marcell Dareus‘ 2015 extension with the Bills. The offer, one the Broncos technically rescinded after Miller declined it, also did not provide the four-time Pro Bowler as much guaranteed money within the first nine months as the Eagles included in the extension they recently gave defensive lineman Fletcher Cox.
In the event the Broncos and Miller do agree on a contract, he stands a strong chance to become the highest-paid defender in NFL history, slightly surpassing tackle Ndamukong Suh‘s 2015 Dolphins accord. Suh received $59.5MM fully guaranteed at signing. While the Broncos haven’t shown a willingness to approach that figure yet, it stands to reason they’ll have to in order to lock up Miller, whom they took second overall in the 2010 draft.
Miller has not been amenable to signing the Broncos’ $14.26MM exclusive franchise tender to this point and could sit out the season in lieu of accepting it. First, though, next Friday’s deadline will have to pass without an agreement between him and the team. Elway, however, has signed each of the three Broncos previously tagged under his watch — Matt Prater (2012), Ryan Clady (2013) and Demaryius Thomas (2015) — and is now aiming to do the same with Miller.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Von Miller Notes: Scout, Pats
Mike Klis of 9News obtained a report from a non-Broncos scout who observed linebacker Von Miller nine times last season and concluded that the 27-year-old is a “Hall of Fame-caliber performer.’’ Meanwhile, former Patriots general counsel/player personnel Jack Musa told Klis that the Pats – who are known for preemptively cutting bait on stars – would shop Miller if they were in a similar situation as Denver is now.
The Broncos and Miller are currently in a contract-related showdown, one which they’re running out of time to resolve. If the reigning Super Bowl champions and the franchise-tagged superstar don’t reach an agreement on a long-term deal by July 15 at 4 p.m. ET, they won’t be able to negotiate again until the offseason. That would leave Miller with two options: 1. Continue sitting out in lieu of signing the franchise tender. 2. Sign it and make in the $14MM neighborhood to play this year. If Miller opts for the first choice, the Broncos wouldn’t have the ability to slap the exclusive franchise tag on him next offseason, though they could give him the non-exclusive version. However, the compensation from a team that signs Miller to an offer sheet would decrease in value by a substantial amount, going from two first-round picks to a first- and third-round selection. The Broncos hit Miller with the exclusive designation this year to stop him from trying to hammer out an accord with another team.
Von Miller Notes: Manning, Trade
- Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning expressed optimism Wednesday about the contract standoff between the club and franchise-tagged linebacker Von Miller, telling TMZ, “I think Von will re-sign, and I do not see that being a problem at all” (link via Joe Nguyen of the Denver Post). With next Friday serving as the deadline for franchise players to sign long-term deals, time is running out on the Broncos and Miller. General manager John Elway and the reigning Super Bowl MVP restarted talks over the weekend, though, so it appears they’re moving in the right direction.
- If the impasse between the Broncos and Miller continues, ESPN’s Ed Werder wonders (via Twitter) if Elway would trade the 27-year-old.
Talks On Hold Between Broncos, E. Sanders
The Broncos and contract-year wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had been negotiating a new accord since at least early June – with the two sides exchanging figures on a deal under three weeks ago – but talks are now on hold, reports Mike Klis of 9News.
As of last month, Sanders expressed a desire to retire a Bronco. The 29-year-old has so far only spent two seasons in Denver, where he has hauled in 177 receptions, 2,500-plus yards and 15 touchdowns in 31 games. In addition to his regular-season prowess, Sanders piled up 16 catches for 230 yards in three games during the Broncos’ run to the Super Bowl last winter.
Sanders originally joined the Broncos on a three-year, $15MM deal after four seasons with the Steelers. It’s fair to say his next contract will be much more valuable. Three of Sanders’ fellow wideouts – the Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin, the Chargers’ Keenan Allen and the Jaguars’ Allen Hurns – signed four-year extensions worth upward of $40MM, including $20MM-plus in guarantees, last month. While Sanders is at least two years older than each of them, he has outproduced the trio and topped them in approximate value since 2014.
General manager John Elway said a month ago that extending Sanders by mid-July would be “ideal,” but it now appears the Broncos could fall short of that goal. Of course, Elway has a higher priority – linebacker Von Miller – whom he must sign by July 15. The team’s franchise player will otherwise be unable to ink an extension until the offseason (and could sit out the season), so there should be more urgency to get a deal done with Miller than Sanders.
For now, Sanders remains on track to play out this season on a $5.6MM salary and hit free agency. However, given the seventh-year man’s stated desire to remain in Denver and the organization’s goal to retain him, odds are the two will work something out. It just might not happen as quickly as planned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Corry: Von Miller Deal Will Get Done
The Broncos and Chiefs have tagged players for the second straight year, with Denver’s negotiation taking on a higher-profile tone as Kansas City’s unfolds quietly. Corry sees the Broncos structuring a Miller deal in the same way the Eagles constructed Fletcher Cox‘s extension as the compromise necessary to finish the deal.
Denver’s offer of six years and $114.5MM has reportedly satisfied Miller’s camp, but its $38.5MM in fully guaranteed money hasn’t. In Cox’s six-year, $103MM extension, the converting defensive tackle will see $55MM fully guaranteed by next March. The Broncos moving up a portion of Miller’s guaranteed money to vest at the same time and giving the two-time All-Pro approximately $58MM by March of 2017 should be enough to induce a signing, Corry writes, with the former agent not buying the linebacker’s threats to sit out the season since no franchise-tagged player has missed an entire year since Chiefs defensive lineman Dan Williams in 1998.
- Denver’s impasse with Miller poses as unique since owner Pat Bowlen is not part of this negotiation, having been stricken with Alzheimer’s. This leaves the full decision up to John Elway, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Florio doubts Broncos president Joe Ellis will overrule Elway’s recommendations for the deal given the Denver GM’s track record. Elway called Miller over the weekend in an attempt to repair a relationship that’s taken some hits recently.
- The Broncos’ decision to move on from Evan Mathis after one year stemmed from the former All-Pro guard’s age and condition, Troy Renck of the Denver post writes. Now a Cardinals cog on a one-year deal similar to the one he signed in Denver last August, Mathis battled an ankle injury in 2015 and partook in a three-guard rotation with Louis Vasquez and Max Garcia before returning to full-time status in the playoffs.
- The Broncos will be more of a run-oriented team in 2016, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com writes. A reliance on either Mark Sanchez or Paxton Lynch at quarterback points to a greater emphasis on a ground game that enjoyed an inconsistent 2015 season. “I don’t think there’s a question what coach [Gary Kubiak] wants to do,” C.J. Anderson said recently, via Legwold. “All you have to do is look out there and see a fullback running around … I mean, we even drafted one. [Kubiak] wants to run the ball.” The Broncos drafted fullback Andy Janovich in the sixth round after being a one-back offense in a season spent shifting between styles in Peyton Manning‘s final year.
John Elway, Von Miller Resume Talks
Earlier today, news emerged that the Broncos and Von Miller broke their silence recently. The conversation was evidently somewhat substantive, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reporting John Elway called the franchise-tagged linebacker in an attempt to break the ice.
Sources informed Schefter the Broncos are ready to get a deal done with Miller after an acrimonious offseason impasse. Elway spoke with Miller for around 10 or 15 minutes over the weekend on a call some said needed to be made, per Schefter, as the deadline to sign franchise-tagg
ed performers looms in 10 days.
While making it clear to Miller the Broncos still regard re-signing him as a high priority, Elway reportedly informed the reigning Super Bowl MVP he will reach out to his agents this week in an effort to accelerate talks and secure a long-term deal.
Miller and the Broncos previously ceased communication after the sides could not agree on total guaranteed money last month. Denver offered its 2011 first-round pick a six-year, $114.5MM deal that satisfied Miller in terms of contract length and total value while falling short of his expectations for guaranteed money. The previous proposal contained $39.8MM in fully guaranteed money, a sum that falls short of Marcell Dareus‘ 2015 extension with the Bills. The offer, one the Broncos technically rescinded after Miller declined it, also did not provide Miller with as much guaranteed money within the first nine months as the Eagles included in Fletcher Cox‘s extension.
The overall parameters of the deal that could well stand as what Miller signs by next Friday in the event the parties agree would make him the highest-paid defender in league history, slightly surpassing Ndamukong Suh‘s 2015 Dolphins accord. Suh received $59.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, however, a number Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reported the Broncos are not up to at this point.
Elway also participated in a conference call with one of Miller’s agents, Joby Branion, over the weekend, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Elway has signed each of the three players the Broncos have tagged under his watch — Matt Prater (2012), Ryan Clady (2013) and Demaryius Thomas (2015) — and looks to be honing in on a potential final act of the Miller negotiations.
As it stands now, Miller has yet to sign the $14.26MM exclusive franchise tender and remains steadfast in his threat to sit out the season and enter 2017 without the possibility of being exclusively tagged next spring. Miller remains the Broncos’ most important player, which serves as his leverage in this standoff, and one that’s claimed two first-team All-Pro honors during a five-year career that’s included 60 sacks.
New Offer For Miller Could Emerge Soon
- The Broncos could soon present Von Miller with a new offer, Cole hears (video link), after they reached out to him last week. But if that offer does not contain $60MM in guaranteed money, Miller will reportedly not sign. Denver has until July 15 to reach a deal with Miller and hopes to avoid the prospect of the All-Pro linebacker sitting out the season. Although such a prospect seems extreme considering how much Miller would stand to lose by doing so, Cole notes that is still his position if the sides cannot agree on terms.
Von Miller, Broncos Resume Talks
Von Miller and the Broncos have resumed talks as the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term extensions looms in 10 days. The sides communicated during the past few days, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) after previously breaking off talks.
Caplan wouldn’t be surprised if Miller and Broncos to continue their talks this week (Twitter link) but said during a SportsCenter appearance the gulf on guaranteed money remains, even if the parties have agreed on the length (six years) and total value ($114.5MM) of a potential deal.
The Broncos rescinded their six-year, $114.5MM offer early last month after Miller declined it due to a lack of guaranteed money at signing, a figure which sat at $39.8MM last we heard. The 27-year-old pass-rusher has threatened to hold out, refusing to play 2016 on the $14.26MM exclusive franchise tag.
Sanders Tweets About Status With Broncos
In a string of tweets themed around Kevin Durant’s landmark defection to the Warriors, Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders addressed some of his own contract issues. The seventh-year wideout responded to a follower’s query about his status with the defending champions and professed his desire to stay in Denver (Twitter link) unless the Broncos determine they don’t want him after his contract year.
- Former Broncos and Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer wrote TheMMQB.com’s Monday Morning Quarterback column published earlier today and outlined his push for the NFL to consider a form of medical marijuana to help players deal with pain. More specifically, Plummer is advocating for the league to get behind a compound derived from marijuana called Charlotte’s Web, a hemp extract high in CBD, which the former 10-year veteran describes as a “non-addictive, non-psychoactive naturally occurring in cannabis.”