The Denver Broncos and Von Miller are back at the negotiating table this week, per Mike Klis of 9News, and an improved offer is on the table.
“Sources tell 9NEWS the Broncos have submitted a new contract proposal to Miller’s agent Joby Branion that included ‘a move’ in the guaranteed structure of the potential deal.”
ESPN’s Ed Werder also chimed in on what he’s heard about the proposal.
#Broncos improved offer to @Millerlite40 Willing to guarantee 3rd year of deal earlier than previous proposals. Most big deals have that
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) July 8, 2016
Time is running out for this deal to get done. If no long-term contract is agreed upon when the July 15 deadline passes, then Miller will either have to sign his $14.26 million franchise tender or sit the season out as he has threatened to do.
As Klis noted in his report, the general framework of the deal isn’t the issue. A six-year, $114.5 million contract would make Miller the highest-paid defender in the NFL based on average salary per year. But until this time, there has been a huge gap between what the Broncos and Miller believed was fair in terms of money up front and fully guaranteed cash.
Last year John Elway walked a similar fine line with receiver Demaryius Thomas and got a contract finalized with hours to spare before the deadline. It wouldn’t shock anyone if things play out the same way this year with Miller.
These contracts are very tricky, and there are more details to hammer out than most of us could imagine. Denver won’t be nearly the same without Miller, so it’s hard to imagine the Broncos won’t make things work out before it’s too late.