Insider: Broncos' GM Finalists Would Approach Von Miller About Contract Restructure
The Denver Broncos have a big decision to make on the GM front. Three finalists were whittled down to only two in Minnesota's George Paton and New Orleans' Terry Fontenot, both of whom garnered a second interview on Tuesday.
Once the GM hire is made, that new Broncos executive faces several momentous decisions, not the least of which is what to do about Von Miller. Miller is about to enter his age-32 season and is coming off an ankle injury that caused him to miss the entire 2020 season.
Creating a bottleneck for the new GM is Miller's contract. While the eight-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his contract, it's an option year; meaning, the Broncos can choose whether or not to extend it or let him hit the bricks and become an unrestricted free agent.
John Elway has voiced optimism about wanting to keep Miller in the Orange and Blue but hiring a new GM will remove that prerogative from his plate. Elway will, of course, wish to be consulted about any "big" decisions but ultimately, what to do with Miller is a call the new guy will have full authority to make.
In a radio interview with 104.3 The FAN on Monday, 9NEWS' Broncos insider Mike Klis reported on the view the team's GM candidates had on the Miller situation during the first wave of interviews. To a man, each professed the priority of finding a way to keep Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons in Denver but the view on Miller was a little more, let's say, complicated.
“All these GMs, when they were interviewing, almost all of them tried to say, ‘Try to get Justin Simmons—Justin Simmons has got to be a priority of getting him back.’ Figuring out how to get Justin Simmons back," Klis told The Drive hosts Darren McKee and Tyler Polumbus. "And Von, the sentiment was, ‘Try to bring him back at a—see if we can work out a new contract’ type of deal. You can’t bring him back at $18 (million). But I think that was pretty much how all the GMs thought about those two players.”
Keep in mind, Klis did not stipulate which GM held which specific view on Miller, only that the consensus seemed to center on the Broncos seeking a restructuring of sorts with the aging pass rusher.
Miller is set to command a $17.5 million base salary with a $500K workout bonus in 2021. Added up, the Broncos would be on the hook for $18M if Miller's option was exercised.
What Klis reported is that each GM candidate would want to keep Miller in Denver, but not at that price tag. The problem is that Miller has not been amenable to even discussing the topic of restructuring his contract when pressed on the issue publicly.
However, if the new GM put together an extension that lowered Miller's cap hit while adding new years onto the term of the deal, the Broncos could keep him around and defer the cap hits into the future — spreading out the financial liability over time.
Miller would have to be open to the idea, of course. And if it was presented right, maybe he would accept an extension, even if it meant moving some of his money into the future.
However, if the new GM arrives and tries to strong-arm Miller into simply accepting a pay-cut, odds are, it won't work out. Miller may have missed 2020 and his 2019 season, despite earning a Pro Bowl nod, was not up to his standard established over the years — but he's still Von Miller.
That clout, even with his age and recent injury, will open up the checkbooks of many an NFL team out there looking for a veteran pass rusher to come in and get after the quarterback. If the Broncos don't find a way to pay him, someone else will.
At the same time, Miller has been a Bronco for 10 years and the shelf life of pass rushers quickly reaches the point of diminishing returns after age-30. If the new GM were to find a way to structure an extension that recognized Miller for the talent that he is still while protecting the team somewhat from the vagaries of Father Time, Miller could be open to such a deal if it allowed him the opportunity to retire as a Bronco at some point in the relative near future.
Former Indianapolis Colts all-timer Dwight Freeney played until he was 37, almost 38, though the final six years of his career were spent as a one-year mercenary with five different NFL teams. Miller's mentor, DeMarcus Ware, played until he was 34 before his body gave out on him in Denver.
We don't know how long Miller envisions playing but there's a way to make him happy, recognize his enormous contributions to Broncos canon, and keep him in Orange and Blue until he hangs up his cleats, while protecting the team on the salary cap. But it takes two to tango, as they say.
The speculation will continue until a new GM is hired. From there, it won't be too long until Broncos Country knows what the future holds for the Super Bowl 50 MVP. One thing seems certain, however; Elway won't be the impetus for whatever decision the Broncos make with Miller.
"I do not think he'll be involved in Von Miller," Klis said of Elway.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
