Each Tuesday, 9NEWS Denver Broncos Insider Mike Klis will answer your questions.
Von is a ridiculous talent who deserves ridiculous NFL funny money! Yes, ridiculous money that ridiculous teams like the Giants (Olivier "Definitely Not Laurence" Vernon) and Dolphins (paying a boy named Suh Super Bowl MVP man’s money) paid out. Yes, it's not smart in business to overpay and we have the franchise tag as leverage. But the truth is it’s very smart to know the facts and not ignore them because of leverage. When we didn't have Von (ACL in 2013) we couldn't touch the summit. When we did have Von and didn't have Star Wars Peyton we owned that summit. He did something Peyton couldn't and deserves his money. That would be, totally sane, franchise QB money. It's not a ridiculous demand. The only ridiculous thing would be Elway not recognizing that!
Art Mensing
San Antonio, TX
Art—You’re getting clever with your prose. Soon after Miller stripped-sacked Carolina quarterback Cam Newton to set up the first of the Broncos’ two touchdowns in Super Bowl 50, I researched from the Levi’s Stadium press box the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player. I then wrote this in my Super Bowl 50 game story by halftime:
“The NFL’s highest-paid defensive player is Miami defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh with an average of $19.063 million per season. Miller, a free agent after this season, may turn his certain franchise tag into becoming the first $20 million defensive man in NFL history.”
And then, when I heard the Broncos opened negotiations two weeks later at the NFL Scouting Combine by offering Miller a $17 million-a year deal, my immediate reaction was: Uh oh. This is going to get ugly.
And it has. The $17 million starting point, by the way, was not without justification. Justin Houston was coming off a 20-sack season in 2014 when the Kansas City Chiefs signed him to a long-term deal worth $16.83 million a year. Miller is coming off an 11-sack regular season.
But his 2 ½ sacks and an interception against Tom Brady in the AFC Conference Game and 2 ½ sacks and essentially two touchdowns against Newton in the Super Bowl can’t be discounted. When a superstar comes through on the two biggest stages? Sports doesn’t get any better.
The Broncos have raised their offer so that Miller would make a tad more than Suh in average annual value, but Suh still has a far better guaranteed package. As do several other NFL players. And while contract numbers are as real as reported in Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association, only the guarantee matters in NFL contracts.
Apparently Von Miller isn’t a happy Bronco, and unhappy employees are unproductive employees. Von needs to learn that nobody is indispensable, including him.
Matthew J. Nicholas
Matthew—Right away, the Broncos Mailbag points out how there are two sides to every contract dispute. I would say, though, there is no replacing Von Miller as he performed in the 2015-season AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl 50.
Those back-to-back performances were unprecedented through the first 50 years of the Super Bowl era and I’d bet that effort is not duplicated in the next 50.
But, if there’s no deal for Miller on July 15, there is more playing time for Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett.
Long-time native Broncos’ fan here. My question is can the people of Colorado own the rights to the stadium name via taxes or shares kind of like the people own the Packers? I pick Pat Bowlen Field at Mile High Stadium or Broncos’ Country Field at Mile High. Thanks for your insight always a fan.
Kevin McNerney
Kevin—While I’m sure Pat Bowlen appreciates your kind gesture, recognition doesn’t pay the bills. Selling the naming rights is what generates revenues to pay the bills.
The taxpayers are represented by the Metropolitan Football District. The stadium naming rights are split evenly between the District and the Broncos.
Already, the District and Broncos have spent more than $100 million to upgrade and maintain their stadium that opened in 2001. It’s not unrealistic to project the Broncos and District needing another $300 million to maintain their stadium for the next 30 years.
The Broncos don’t want to go back to the taxpayers and ask them to help build a new $2 billion stadium. A strong naming rights deal can help preserve the stadium they have now.
The District and the Broncos promise the words, “Mile High’’ be included in the new stadium’s name.
The ultimate stamp on Pat Bowlen’s legacy will be his election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Two contributors will be recommended for the next election on Feb. 4 and I’d be stunned if Bowlen is not one of them.
Could the reason behind the “low” guaranteed money in Von Millers contract proposal be that the guaranteed money has to go into an escrow account? Perhaps they don’t have the required cash on hand to pony up for Miller’s guaranteed money, plus Brandon Marshall’s guaranteed money, plus Emmanuel Sanders’ guaranteed money. That would appear to be a rather large outlay that has to be escrowed. Perhaps, they don’t have enough cash on hand to fund those guarantees?
Big fan in NY, previously Roxborough Park.
Geoff Grieble
Geoff—You’re right, the full guaranteed money -- which consists of signing bonus that might be paid out in installments, and future salaries that are secured against skill/injury/salary cap – must be funded.
Is this a factor in Miller’s case? All teams open negotiations by trying not to put too much money upfront. Escrow is one reason. Keeping the carrot dangled in front of the player is another.
An inordinate amount of guaranteed money can doom a team, no question. But are the Broncos hurting for money? Not since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement they’re not.
Contract talks with Sanders, by the way, have been put on hold. Not off, but on hold. He is scheduled to make $5.6 million in the final year of his contract this season.
I think we all should know what best move is for Broncos. Cut TALIB & sign MILLER. TALIB is a loose cannon off & on the field.
Marcia Stites
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia – The Dallas police aren’t sure if Aqib Talib was a little loose with his own pistoled cannon, or if he was a victim of aggravated assault. For now they are treating him as a victim. You can’t punish a victim.
The investigation is ongoing so let’s wait for a few more facts to come out before making such harsh judgments.
The Broncos need both Talib and Miller. They’ve already lost Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan. If I had to rank each player from that vaunted Denver D last year, I’d do so this way:
1. Von Miller
2. Chris Harris Jr.
3. Aqib Talib
4. DeMarcus Ware
5. Malik Jackson
6. Derek Wolfe
7. T.J. Ward
8. Brandon Marshall
9. Danny Trevathan
10. Darian Stewart
11. Bradley Roby
12. Sylvester Williams
13. David Bruton
Roby can become a Pro Bowl-caliber cover corner, but he’s not nearly as physical as Talib. And Talib’s personality is crucial to the Denver D’s success. Loose cannons are feared.
How much should we pay Von?
William Harris
A-Town Pizza
William—Whatever it takes plus two slices of A-Town Pizza.
I do believe the Broncos will sweeten the guarantee portion of their offer to Miller by the July 15 deadline. They will have to surpass the $63 million in guarantees Philadelphia recently gave Fletcher Cox. And the Broncos will have to not only fully secure the first two years, but all but fully guarantee the third year.
We’ll see if Miller can overcome his sore feelings and reach an agreement. Make no mistake, his feelings are sore. And they are a factor. Maybe that’s where your pizza comes in, William.
