The Denver Broncos best player remains absent from the team and after a seemingly happy, but brief, reunion Monday at the White House, the star is growing weary of his contract situation and both sides are nearing a precarious deadline.
Coupled with Von Miller’s reunion with the team have come varying reports of how the two sides are trying to get a deal done, or if a deal is even still on the table.
A source very close to Miller told BSN Denver on Friday that a deal and deadline were proposed to the Super Bowl 50 MVP. After Miller accepted the length and total money offered in time on Tuesday, the offer was rescinded by the Broncos due to Miller not agreeing to the proposal in its entirety.
The deal proposed was reported first by ESPN’s Adam Schefter citing “sources close to Denver.” He reported the deal included six-years, $114.5 million, including $39.8 million guaranteed.
Our source confirmed that where the two sides remain apart is the guaranteed money involved. While both sides have maintained publicly that they have “made real progress” the source admitted that the process has become increasingly vexing.
“The Broncos have imposed three separate deadlines for Miller to accept a multi-year contract stating each time that a refusal to do so would result in an ending of future offers of multi-year contracts,” the source detailed Friday. “The building frustration stems from a lack of getting into the specifics of the contract and a lack of communication, both written and verbal.”
The Broncos have been seeking to get Miller signed to a contract since the immediate weeks following Super Bowl 50 but due to numerous free agents and little cap space, it has been a difficult road for the team to travel. Both sides certainly have leverage and legitimate concerns to deal with.
As evidenced by the deals inked with C.J. Anderson and Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos have not been adverse to paying at or above market value for their star players. Anderson signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the team this offseason that included $7.6 million guaranteed. A deal many believed was too much for the running back. Thomas signed a five-year, $70 million deal including, $43.5 million guaranteed. A deal that was famously similar to the deal of Dez Bryant.
Friday, BSN Denver tried to reach the Broncos for comment on the Miller situation to no avail.
The source close to Miller also detailed that only until recently did any talks of substantial length occur to try and “cobble together” a deal that both sides could agree upon. Yet, late Tuesday evening that proposal was scrapped.
Miller has been spectacular in his five-year career and possibly not any better than in his last two games in a Broncos jersey. While the source close to Miller admitted to understanding the Broncos cash flow and recent free agency concerns, it is the lack of give-and-take that seems to have kept legitimate progress from being achieved.
“From around the NFL combine until now, Miller’s camp has continually been flexible in regards to the length of the contract, total money and guaranteed money,” the source said emphatically.
Several player’s recent contracts have undoubtedly impacted the negotiations with Miller. New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon received a five-year $85.5 million contract with $52.5 million in guarantees, coming out to an average of $17.1 million per season. Miami Dolphins defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh signed a six-year, roughly $114.3 million contract, with $59.5 million of it guaranteed coming out to $19.05 million per season (slightly lower than the average of the proposal to Miller). The closest type of player you can find to Miller is Kansas City’s Justin Houston, who received a six-year $101 million deal with $52.5 million of it guaranteed. Houston has had a similar career to the Broncos’ edge rusher but it would be impossible to argue that he’s more than $10 million better.
Those figures alone show that while the generous offer of the Broncos is record setting in total value, the lack of a percentage in guaranteed money falls far short of the existing market. Each one of those players received north of 50-percent in guaranteed money. Vernon’s contract, in particular, throws a wrench in Miller’s situation purely based on how much the Giant has been paid for what has been a mediocre career thus far. He has only 29 career sacks to Miller’s 66.5.
From the Broncos perspective, they do not have to give Miller the same potential guaranteed money due to the simple fact that he is not on the open market like the other players were. The Broncos must use all tools at their disposal, including the leverage of the franchise tag, to get a deal that gives them room to work in the future.
Denver has exclusively franchise tagged Miller which would pay him nearly $14.2 million in 2016. The current collective bargaining agreement states the team can franchise tag him again in 2017 and 2018 for increasing amounts up to $24.4 million. However, if Miller sat out this season he would not be an exclusively tagged player in 2017, possibly opening up an avenue to leave Denver.
Tagging Miller and not coming to a long term deal this season or down the road, runs the serious risk of upsetting their best player and it seems that they may have already done that as the news of the latest proposal and lack of an agreement has escalated negative public opinion of Miller.
While sitting out a season in his prime and forfeiting a hefty salary may seem preposterous, if things remain murky and become increasingly contentious, Miller may do just that. In that scenario, both sides would pay a steep price and regardless of fault, be viewed in a negative light. The source close to Miller emphasized his concern with getting a fair deal based on respect, not the final dollar amount that will also impact players that come into a similar situation after him.
The reality is that, up to this point, both parties involved have not been able to communicate their positions to each other clearly. Whose fault that is up to this point in moot.
The Broncos ended last season with smiles and jubilation, much of that due in large part to Miller’s role in the locker room and certainly on the field. With only five weeks remaining both sides would do well to try and meet on common ground, look each other in the eye and stop wasting time. While the source close to Miller said Monday, “the only deadline is July 15,” it seems like they may want to talk much more often than they have and much earlier than then.
Graciousness and patience, like most things, have an expiration date.
