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NFL Rumors: Denver Broncos Shift Focus After Von Miller Rejects $114 Mil Offer

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 16:18 PST, Jun 10, 2016

Rumors around the Denver Broncos organization have centered on the defending Super Bowl champions shifting their focus to signing other players now that Von Miller has rejected a contract offer worth more than $114.5 million.

ESPN reported on Friday that Denver Broncos are now reaching out to two other players on their team to begin negotiating new contracts. The article suggests that the new team focus is a signal that Denver is unwilling to raise their six-year, $114.5 million offer to Von Miller that included more than $58 million in guaranteed money and bonuses.

“They have had discussions with representatives for linebacker Brandon Marshall and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders about contract extensions in recent days. Immediately following the draft, both players were cited by Broncos executive John Elway as being “next in line” after negotiations with Miller.”

Brandon Marshall would have been a priority for the Denver Broncos whether Von Miller had signed a deal or not. Marshal was the team’s leading tackler in 2014 and finished second in that statistic in 2015. Brandon is a restricted free agent who did not sign his one-year offer for slightly more than $2.5 million.

NFL rumors have suggested that Brandon Marshall would look at the deal that former Denver linebacker Danny Trevathan secured during the offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $24.5 million pact with the Chicago Bears. Anonymous sources within the Broncos organization have suggested that a deal greater than what Trevathan signed would be necessary for the Broncos to re-sign Brandon Marshall.

In Emmanuel Sanders’ case, Denver is trying to sign an extension for a productive wide receiver who has already produced two 1,000-yard seasons as a member of the Broncos offense. Emmanuel is in his final year of a three-year contract, and Sanders will turn 30 before he hits the open market next March if the Denver Broncos can’t strike a deal with the athlete.

Sources in the NFL have suggested that Emmanuel signed a deal in 2014 that was under Sanders’ true market value. Rumors are swirling that the Denver Broncos will have to up the ante in order to bring Emmanuel Sanders back in 2017. Re-signing both Sanders and Marshall at their perceived value while also signing Von Miller to his massive contract could not happen with the limited salary cap space Denver current faces.

Rumors circulated by USA Today suggested that Von Miller is attempting to hold the Denver Broncos to the same contract standards that other defensive pass rushers signed this year. One contract in particular — the New York Giants’ pact with Olivier Vernon — is holding up discussions between Von Miller and the Denver Broncos, according to the article.

“Miller’s reps have referred not only to [Ndamukong] Suh’s contract, but the recent $17 million a year deal the New York Giants gave defensive lineman Olivier [Vernon] that included $29 million in year one cash. Vernon has 29.0 career sacks and no playoff appearances. Miller has 60.0 career sacks and 6.5 more in the postseason.”

Von Miller isn’t the only person that believes he deserves more than what Olivier Vernon received this offseason. The website 247 Sports believes the deal will come back to hurt the Giants financially after paying too much for the lineman’s services. In citing Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap, the article concluded that the “contract is just incredibly overvalued and, while Vernon had a great second half of his walk year, he has never been the top guy to be concerned about on the Dolphins.”

ESPN confirmed the rumors surrounding Von Miller and his desire for higher guaranteed money in the first years of the contract with Denver. After noting that the original offer from the Broncos contained more than $38.5 million in guaranteed money in the pact’s first two years, the article explained that Denver was unwilling to go higher to meet Von Miller’s requests.

“Guaranteed money is the major sticking point; the Broncos were unwilling to move additional guaranteed money earlier in the contract, so the two sides have, for the time being, shut down negotiations.”

What do you think about the Denver Broncos changing their focus now that Von Miller has rejected his massive contract offer? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images]

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