ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — From the outside, the future of one of the greatest players in Denver Broncos’ history hung in the balance during the offseason.
But inside the organization, Denver’s intentions with Von Miller were very clear.
“Von’s been a priority. We wanted Von here since I’ve been here,” George Paton said on Thursday, as he introduced his first wave of free agents. “We were going to try to do that any way we could. I had good conversations with Joby Branion his agent and I’ve spoken with Von, and we ended up just exercising the option.”
Picking up Miller’s contract option came at the steep price of an $18 million salary and a $22 million cap hit — both team highs. But in today’s NFL where the value of pass rushers has never been higher, the Broncos believe Von is primed to live up to, and potentially succeed, his steep salary.
“I think we had a lot of injuries last year, which you guys are all aware of. But one of the ones that was most disappointing and hard to take was [Von’s], not because of who he is, but I saw a guy who was in the best shape that I had seen him in in two years, people that had been here longer than me said the same thing,” Vic Fangio said on Monday, as the team celebrated Justin Simmons’ four-year, $61 million contract.
“[Miller] had a focus and a desire for last season and then for him to get that freak injury in first-week-game preparation, right around this part of the field right here, was very, very disappointing,” Fangio continued.
Less than a week before the start of the season, the Super-Bowl-50 MVP dislocated his peroneal tendon in practice, ending his season before it even began. The season before, in 2019, Miller’s eight sacks were the second-fewest in his career, only topping 2013 when he was suspended and tore his ACL.
But Fangio wasn’t just expecting a bounce-back year from the organization’s all-time sack leader last year. He was expecting a career year from No. 58.
“I think he was primed to have a really good season,” Fangio emphasized. “And I mean a really good season by his standards. Hopefully he’s going to do the same thing he did this year, what he did last offseason, he’ll do it and come back in in great shape also.”
A really good season by Von’s standards would put him closer to 20 sacks in a season than 10 and would add another Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro to his resume.
If — which is a big if — Von is able to have that type of year, the Broncos landed Miller for a bargain at $18 million. Even with a reduced salary cap due to COVID-19, pass rushers were paid a premium this offseason.
Shaq Barrett, who averaged 13.75 sacks per season over the last two years, landed $18 million per year. But the market was very lucrative for players that didn’t have elite production. Bud Dupree and Leonard Floyd — who Denver checked in on — brought in $16 million a season, Carl Lawson got $15 million a year and Matt Judon landed $14 million a year. Over the past two seasons, those players averaged 9.75 sacks per year, 6.75 sacks, 5.25 sacks and 7.75 sacks per season, respectively.
Less than 24 hours after seeing all of those players land their massive deals, the Broncos officially exercised Von’s option. But Paton said the decision to bring Miller back had nothing to do with the way the market panned out.
“We wanted Von Miller. We wanted Von to be a Bronco,” Paton stated on Thursday.
The former No. 2-overall pick had 18.5 sacks in his career year in 2012. Anything close to that in 2021 would make his $18 million salary quite the deal based off the pass-rush market.
“The tape I’ve watched, he still had the juice before he got injured. Pass rushers are a premium and he’s special. He’s a special pass rusher,” Paton said about exercising Von’s option and keeping him for the final year of his deal. “You look at some of the great pass rushers of all time, they’re rushing the passer well into their 30s. Von has been working and I think he is going to have a Pro Bowl-type season.”
Von Miller will be a Bronco in 2021. And there wasn’t a doubt about it.
