Miller’s emotions are still “raw” when the Denver Broncos agree to trade him at Los Angeles Rams
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Jeff Legwold
CloseESPN Senior Writer
- Covered Broncos for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News for nine years
- Previously covered Steelers, Bills, and Titans
- Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board
of selectors since 1999
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Lindsey Thiry
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ESPN- Covered Rams for two years for the Los Angeles Times
- Had covered the falcons before
- Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball
The Denver Broncos agreed to swap eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller for the Los Angeles Rams on Monday.
The Rams will send a second-round pick and a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft to the Broncos in exchange for Miller.
The Broncos will also pay $ 9 million out of Miller’s remaining base salary of $ 9.7 million for the remaining nine regular season games, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
2 relatives
An emotional Miller, who was in the back seat of an SUV as he exited the Broncos facility on Monday, told reporters he was surprised by the deal.
“It’s still hard to put into words. It’s still a bit raw, but thank you, thank you everyone, and off to LA,” said Miller.
“It’s still hard – you can’t really put it into words,” Miller added. “Somebody once told me that you want to make God laugh and then make plans. You just have to keep going, taking it one day at a time. I have a beautiful boy, had many wonderful years here, many great memories, many great teammates, many great coaches, many great fans. ”
In Los Angeles, Miller will join a 7-1 Rams team that is a favorite for a Super Bowl LVI run.
“Great team – I’ve been a huge Aaron Donald fan for a long time. They have a great defense … I’m excited, always been a great teammate and will continue to do so. ”Miller said, adding that he hopes to play on Sunday night when the Rams host the Tennessee Titans.
Another big one is coming to LA.
Let’s catch up, @VonMiller. pic.twitter.com/GKgTnTUQ4X
– Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 1, 2021
During the off-season, the Rams struck a blockbuster trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford who the team believed could be the last addition needed to win a title, in their brand new home at SoFi where the next Super Bowl will be played.
Last month, as the trading deadline loomed, Rams trainer Sean McVay said he wasn’t expecting big splash moves like you may have seen us do in the past. But the fifth year coach added, “I would never say never.”
McVay said on a conference call with reporters Monday night that his first reaction when he was informed of a deal for Miller was the possibility, “‘You need to speak to me!’ That’s what I said. I say, ‘No way.’ “
Miller will give the reinforcement needed to a defense that has declined slightly from last season’s peak performance despite three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Donald and All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Miller comes from coach Vic Fangio’s 3-4 scheme and should fit seamlessly with the Rams, whose system comes from Fangios and plays against external linebacker Leonard Floyd. And Miller is going to divert some attention from Donald, who ranks 18th in the league with five sacks and was on the doubles team, fourth-most in the NFL, on 106 snaps this season.
“He brings an element with him, obviously an incredibly one-of-a-kind footballer who is not only a great pass rusher, but also a complete footballer who can really negatively impact and influence an offensive on all three downs,” said McVay of Miller. “You can use it in a number of ways.”
McVay said Miller will undergo physical training on Tuesday but it is the hope and expectation that he can play the Titans on Sunday.
Miller, who was throwing a Halloween party for his teammates and friends on Sunday night, was at the team’s suburban complex in Denver on Monday morning to say goodbye to his coaches and teammates.
“I always have Super Bowl 50 – seeing the pictures when I went out made me cry,” Miller said. “We always got Super Bowl 50, always Broncos Country, and we have to keep going.”
| player | bags |
|---|---|
| From Miller | 110.5 |
| Chandler Jones | 102.0 |
| JJ Watt | 102.0 |
| – ESPN statistics and information | |
Miller, who was John Elway’s first draft pick (second overall) as the team’s top football maker in 2011, has been the longest-serving Broncos player. He was in the final year of the $ 114.5 million six-year deal he signed in late July 2016, six months after winning the Super Bowl 50 MVP Award. He is said to be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
“When I said ‘Broncos for life’ I meant that – it will always stay in my heart,” said Miller. “It was an honor and a privilege to play here. John Elway picked me and it changed my life. “
Miller, 32, and kicker Brandon McManus were the only remaining players on the roster who played for the Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
“Von was the very first draft pick we made in 2011 when we needed an effective player to turn this team around,” Elway said in a statement. “There was a lot of pressure on him as number 2 overall and he has exceeded all of those expectations in 11 great seasons as a Bronco.
“Von was always at his best when we needed him most. Our Super Bowl 50 win and our playoff run this year would not have been possible without Von delivering one of the most dominant individual performances of all time.”
Fangio, who spoke about the Miller deal just moments before the news was released, said as the trading deadline approached “several” teams called the Broncos about deals, but he did not provide details.
When the team reached 4-4, Fangio was then asked if he had shared his thoughts with General Manager George Paton about what the team should do before Tuesday’s trading deadline.
“I told him to do whatever he has to and we will train and win football with what we have,” said Fangio. “I didn’t try to influence him one way or another.”
Miller, who is the league’s active career sack leader at 110.5 (sacks became an official statistic in 1982), is one of the most honored players in the with eight Pro Bowl selections and three all-pro first-team selections of team history, and he was selected for the decade-long team for the 2010s by the Hall of Fame Selection Board.
Miller has half a sack in the Broncos’ last five games after having four in the team’s 3-0 start in September. Miller didn’t play Washington on Sunday due to a left ankle injury and Fangio said after the game it was “not close” for Miller to be in the line-up.
When asked last week about the approaching trading deadline and the team’s struggles in a four-game losing streak, Miller said:
“No, I can’t really control all of this. I’m here with these guys and I love all of these guys, whether we lose or not. I can say all these coaches, all these equipment managers, the media people. ”- all of them. I really love these guys … as long as I’m here, my key card is still working, and I’m a Denver Bronco, I’ll keep trying to fix it. I’ll keep trying to do my part to get us back to the top of the mountain. I will keep trying to be the kind of franchise this franchise was in the past. ”
This is the second trade between the Rams and Broncos before this year’s trading deadline. The Rams traded linebacker Kenny Young for the Broncos in a deal that swapped draft picks last week. At the time, McVay said the decision to trade Young was “financially driven.”
“Whether that means big big strides for us or not, I can’t really talk about that right now,” said McVay.
The Rams are also expected to make another roster change after veteran recipient DeSean Jackson, who signed a $ 4.5 million one-year contract that guaranteed $ 2.75 million for the off-season late last Week requested the trade.
McVay said after Sunday’s 38:22 win over the Houston Texans that “there has been a dialogue with some teams”. As of Monday, McVay didn’t have another update on Jackson, but there is an increased urgency to find a resolution for their recipient group after McVay announced that rookie Tutu Atwell will have end-of-season shoulder surgery.
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