Von Miller Still Hasn't 'Unpacked' Reality of Losing Derek Wolfe & Chris Harris, Jr.
At this time last year, the Denver Broncos could boast that three of the 11 defensive players who started Super Bowl were still on the roster. Fast forward to today and only Von Miller remains.
You can throw in Todd Davis as a contributor to Super Bowl 50 but he didn't start that game, though he was on the active roster. Meanwhile, Derek Wolfe and Chris Harris, Jr. have since departed, taking their talents to the Ravens and Chargers, respectively.
It marked the end of an era of Broncos football.
Such is the way it almost always eventually unfolds in the NFL. When it comes to the business side of the game, as GM John Elway said, 98% of the time, when a veteran departs his long-time team, it's not on his own terms.
For Miller, who was just named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2010s alongside Harris, Jr., he's still coming to terms with losing Wolfe and Harris, though he's at peace with how he left things with both close friends.
"What gives me peace with losing those guys is there wasn’t one moment that went by that I didn’t let those guys know that I loved them and that I enjoyed being on the same football team as them," Miller said via conference call on Monday. "Every year was special. It was its own individual year. I’ve got eight of them with Wolfe, nine of them with Chris. I really haven’t unpacked it."
Miller and Harris arrived in Denver together back in 2011, although it came via two entirely different routes. Miller was the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, while Harris signed as a college free agent for a $2,000 signing bonus.
Together, they would go on to achieve greatness — both as individuals and collectively. Combined, Miller and Harris totaled 12 Pro Bowl nods in the ensuing nine seasons, to go along with multiple All-Pro selections. Wolfe followed the year after as a second-round pick, and though he was never was able to garner the same individual accolades as Miller and Harris, that trio did a lot of the heavy lifting during the Broncos' five-year domination of the AFC West and the Super Bowl 50 triumph.
For Miller, the easiest way to cope with the loss of two blood-brothers is by looking forward to the roster the Broncos are poised to enter the 2020 season with. Harris and Wolfe might be gone, but GM John Elway replaced each with a Pro Bowler.
CB A.J. Bouye takes over for Harris, while DL Jurrell Casey steps in for Wolfe. Those are just two of the additions the Broncos have made this spring.
“It’s crazy to lose Chris and Wolfe. I’m sad about it, but I just fast-forward to the type of team that we have," Miller said. "The young players that we have, they need me to show them the way. I’m looking forward to that. It’s special. When I look at it and see that I’m the last one here I just look at it like, ‘Man, I’m old as hell. That was in 2016.’ (laughing)"
It's too early to make any bold predictions for the 2020 Broncos but Miller feels like the building blocks are there — on paper, at least.
"We have a great one coming up," Miller said. "On paper this looks like it’s going to be a great one. We’ve got [Head] Coach [Vic] Fangio back, all the key coaches that we had before. I’m pretty excited about my new teammates and spending time with those guys. Everybody knows that I’m a locker room guy. I’m a team guy. I’ve got new teammates. I’m happy.”
Miller will get a chance to see Harris twice in the upcoming season — once at home and once on the road vs. the L.A. Chargers. It wouldn't be surprising to see both Harris and Wolfe maintain a permanent residence in Denver, as both have gone on public record with their desire to maintain the Mile High City as their family's home.
As fans celebrate the accomplishment of both Miller and Harris making it onto the All-Decade Team, it's a great time to reflect back on the contributions that each made, as well as Wolfe. The last few years were a bit of a bummer but without any of those three studs, the 2011-15 era might have unfolded very differently for the Broncos.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
