Von Miller

AFC West Notes: Von, Broncos QBs, Chiefs, Berry

June 15th, 2016 at 4:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Star linebacker Von Miller is embroiled in a contract dispute with the Broncos, leading to questions as to whether he’d go so far as to sit out at least some of this season, but the Super Bowl 50 MVP may have put that notion to rest. On the possibility of skipping regular-season games this year if the franchise-tagged pass rusher and the Broncos don’t work out a long-term deal by the July 15 deadline, Miller told Netflix’s Chelsea Handler, “No, I mean .. we still have a month. I just can’t see myself with any other team. My boys — T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, Kayvon Webster, DeMarcus Ware. All those guys, I built very, very close relationships with those guys, and I would like to continue to build that for the rest of my career.” Miller also stated that he’d like the franchise to reciprocate his desire to be a career-long Bronco (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).

More regarding Denver and one of its division rivals:

Another franchise player from the AFC West, Chiefs four-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, is also disenchanted with his contract situation. Unsurprisingly, Berry is absent from the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp as he tries to sort out his future, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Berry could sign his one-year, $10.8MM tender and play this season under that, or he could continue to wait for a long-term deal from the Chiefs or another team. As is the case with Miller, Berry has until July 15 to work out a multiyear accord. Otherwise, he’ll either have to play this season as a franchise player or sit out.
First-round rookie Paxton Lynch is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Broncos’ three-man quarterback derby, according to head coach Gary Kubiak. Both Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian are well ahead of the ex-Memphis standout as of now. “I think they’re looking each in the eye throughout the course of the offseason,” Kubiak said of Sanchez and Siemian (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). “Who’s ahead? Who’s [No.] 1? I think those two guys are right there with each other; it’s a very competitive situation. They’re obviously ahead of the young guy. … Those two guys have been very close.”
The Chiefs have invited four free agents – cornerbacks Trenton Cole and Chris Greenwood, and receivers Seantavius Jones and Devonte Robinson – to try out at mandatory camp, reports Paylor (Twitter link).

Fallout From Fletcher Cox’s Extension

June 14th, 2016 at 7:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier today, PFR ran down some of the initial reactions to the mammoth six-year contract extension defensive lineman Fletcher Cox signed with the Eagles on Monday. Plenty more responses have come in since, so let’s dive in…

The Cox deal is yet another Eagles-inflicted blow to the Broncos, details Mike Klis of 9News. The Eagles hurt the Broncos’ chances to re-sign quarterback Brock Osweiler earlier this offseason when they inked Sam Bradford to a $17.5MM-per-year extension. Now Cox’s contract isn’t doing Denver any favors in its attempt to lock up star pass-rushing linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl 50 MVP who has amassed 60 sacks in 72 career regular-season games. The Broncos have until July 15 to sign Miller to a long-term deal. Otherwise, best-case scenario for the club: Miller will play out 2016 under the exclusive franchise tag. There have been rumblings that Miller could sit out the season if the reigning champions don’t meet his long-term demands, however. To this point, the Broncos haven’t been willing to give Miller a non-injury-guaranteed total approaching $60MM for the first three years of the six-year, $114.5MM extension they’ve offered him. The Broncos have instead offered to guarantee nearly $40MM over the first two years, and non-injury guarantees for the third year wouldn’t actually kick in until then. Cox, meanwhile, got $55.2MM in new money in the opening three years of his deal.
Denver isn’t the only team that the Cox contract could negatively affect, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Panthers and Jets have standout defensive linemen Kawann Short and Muhammad Wilkerson, respectively, entering contract years, and now their price tags stand to rise even higher. The Panthers aren’t bullish enough on Short to give him Cox-type money, which will make negotiations difficult, according to Cole. The Jets hold similar feelings toward Wilkerson, so the expectation is that he doesn’t have much of a future with the team. Wilkerson is currently scheduled to play this season under the non-exclusive franchise tag, though he hasn’t signed the tender yet and isn’t a lock to report to training camp.
Having second overall pick Carson Wentz in the fold as the prospective long-term solution under center is a luxury that enabled the Eagles to allocate bank-breaking money to Cox, opines Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cox’s extension will kick in come 2017, which is when Wentz is expected to take over for Bradford under center. Wentz’s cap numbers from 2017-19 ($6.06MM, $7.26MM and $8.49MM) are palatable figures for a starting QB. Of course, Wentz will actually have to prove himself capable in the pros for Philly to take advantage of this situation, as the Seahawks and Colts have done in recent years with Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck, respectively.
After former head coach Chip Kelly pushed him out of the picture last season, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman has emphatically taken back the throne in Philadelphia, writes Marcus Hayes of the Inquirer. Cox’s extension is just the latest transaction Roseman has made this year to ensure the Eagles have a prosperous future. Along with locking up Cox, Roseman also inked Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Lane Johnson, Vinny Curry, Malcolm Jenkins and Bradford to multiyear deals. In addition to those deals and the aggressive move to land Wentz in the draft, Roseman spent the meat of the offseason getting rid of DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, Riley Cooper and DeMeco Ryans. Roseman has put his stamp on the Eagles and erased Kelly’s influence over the franchise in the process.

AFC Notes: Miller, Jaguars, Titans, Shelton

June 11th, 2016 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some notes out of the AFC on this Saturday evening…

It might be in Von Miller‘s best interest to sit out the majority of next season, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The reigning Super Bowl MVP would earn $5.81MM if he sits out until Week 10, and the Broncos would presumably pass on slapping Miller with the franchise tag next offseason. If they did, Miller could sit out again, earning $6.98MM for another seven-game season. In this scenario, Miller would be in line for a 44-percent raise or the quarterback franchise tender for 2018. When all is said and done, the 27-year-old could end up making at least $36MM for 30 games over three seasons.
Dwayne Gratz started 13 games for the Jaguars during the 2014 season, but the cornerback may have issues even making next year’s roster. As Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com writes, with Aaron Colvin, Davon House, Prince Amukamara and Jalen Ramsey presumably ahead of him on the depth chart, the 26-year-old recognizes that he’s simply competing for a roster spot. “It’s going to be big,” Gratz said. “I have to understand it’s not a given and that if I don’t do my job, I won’t end up on this team, which I would like to be a part of because a lot of special things are going to happen. I understand the situation I’m in.”
The Titans made a variety of moves this past offseason, and general manager Jon Robinson addressed those moves while speaking at the Nashville Sports Council Reception last Tuesday. “We did what we thought was the best for the football team,” he said (via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com). “As I’ve said before, this is a city and a state and a team that I am very passionate about. It’s a special place for me, and I want it to be good. And we want it to be good. We just try to make moves and position ourselves to put a product and 53 guys out there that this city and this state can be proud of.”
Browns defensive tackle Danny Shelton lost 30 pounds this offseason, and his improved physique should allow him to stay on the field for more snaps. “He can do so many more things at the weight he’s at right now and the condition he’s in,’‘ defensive line coach Robert Nunn told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “So he’s got to keep that and time will tell. He’s the one that controls that. I can help him only so much and the strength coaches can only help him so much and Coach Jackson can only help him so much. I think he sees the difference of where he was and where he can be.”

West Rumors: Chargers, Miller, Bailey, Ward

June 11th, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers received the necessary 110,000+ votes to place their citizens’ initiative measure on the November ballot for the purposes of unlocking funds for a downtown stadium, Dan McSwain of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

“Most signature gathering efforts of this kind take six full months. We had just six weeks to complete our work,” Chargers chairman Dean Spanos said. “The fact that we were able to collect more than 110,000 signatures in that short period of time demonstrates tremendous support in our community for a new, combined stadium-convention center expansion downtown.”

The initiative calls for $650MM in funds from unspecified sources, which likely means money from the Chargers, fans, personal seat licenses and the NFL, per McSwain. But opponents of the initiative are formulating plans. Some are taking the stance of last year’s stadium task force that preferred to keep the Chargers at nearby Mission Valley as opposed to downtown.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer endorsed that site last year prior to the Chargers’ Carson bid being rejected. But he hasn’t come out in favor of either site recently and distanced himself from the activist group that’s attempting to prevent the Chargers-supported downtown stadium from coming to fruition.

The next step in this process is the San Diego registrar’s office determining if 66,447 of those aforementioned signatures are valid.

Here’s the latest from teams whose statuses in their current cities are a bit more entrenched.

Although Von Miller‘s proposed six-year, $114.5MM deal would bring $58.5MM by Year 3 should the Broncos pick up his third-season option a few days after the 2018 league year begins, the All-Pro pass-rusher’s stance remains firm: he wants $60MM fully guaranteed at signing, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. This protects Miller in the same way Ndamukong Suh‘s $59.5MM in full guarantees did. Denver offered $38.5MM, with an additional $1.3MM in workout bonuses, to its franchise-tagged performer at signing. That falls well short of Suh’s total, although every NFL contract has done so, with Aaron Rodgers‘ failing to exceed $45MM in at-signing guarantees. The Broncos’ offer seems to follow the blueprint the Chiefs laid out with Justin Houston last summer, with the tagged edge defender receiving $32.5MM guaranteed up front, with the carrot of $52.5MM in the first three seasons if the Chiefs trigger his Year 3 option on the third day of the 2017 league year.
Some of these developments — like the Broncos leaking his turning down the offer — have been viewed as personal affronts for 27-year-old reigning Super Bowl MVP, Renck writes. Look no further than Miller cropping GM John Elway out of an Instagram photo (via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, on Twitter) that previously featured Miller, Elway DeMarcus Ware, Peyton Manning and Gary Kubiak at the White House. Renck suggests Miller remove himself from the proceedings to avoid further embitterment toward the franchise he will almost certainly still play for in 2016. The sides have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal before Miller is forced to play for $14.26MM this season.
Clearing waivers on Wednesday, Stedman Bailey has returned to the Rams in a non-playing role for now, being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. The would-be fourth-year wideout appreciates the organization keeping him around despite not being medically cleared to play after being shot twice in November. “I still get a chance to work out with the team and just pretty much sit around with all the meetings and learn what it’s like to be a coach. So, it’s kind of just looking at the game from a different angle, but I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” Bailey said, via Andie Hagemann of NFL.com.
Jimmie Ward has transformed from strong safety to slot cornerback to someone with a strong chance of starting at corner to begin 2016. The former first-round safety earned the bulk of the first-team reps for the 49ers at corner opposite Tramaine Brock at minicamp, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com reports. Ward rated as a top-40 Pro Football Focus corner last season for his work in the slot. He of the infamous Iron Bowl field goal return in 2013, Chris Davis took most of the reps at slot corner at San Francisco’s minicamp.

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.

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