The Broncos have a Von Miller problem.
Don’t get me wrong. The Vonster is an elite pass rusher, a good teammate and a funny dude. But he was born to dance, not lead. Since Peyton Manning retired, let’s just say Miller is 0-for-2 in leading the Broncos to the playoffs.
“Two times not going to the playoffs is just not going to ride,” Miller admitted before Denver’s final loss in a 5-11 season. “There are going to be some drastic changes this offseason, and I’m all for it.”
Well, now we get to find out how much Miller really means it. If Denver wants to return to the playoffs in 2018, what the team needs is a new leader to set the tone, so Miller can focus on producing more than his 10 quarterback sacks in 2017, which ranked 18th in the NFL.
Miller turns 29 in March. When I asked him if he felt like an old bull, Miller laughed and replied: “No, not yet. I still have like 12 or 15 (years left). I hate to say that ‘old’ word.”
How many prime seasons, however, does Miller realistically have left? Three? Maybe four?
If the Broncos want to avoid the pain of a lengthy rebuild, they need a quarterback who can not only lead touchdown drives but command respect in a locker room full of strong personalities. They need a quarterback capable of being that leader sooner than later, while Miller is in his prime.
If general manager John Elway thinks he can find that quarterback with the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft, more power to him. Would it be fair to expect a rookie quarterback named Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold to not only master the Denver playbook but also be the face of the franchise at age 21?
Watching the playoffs, as the AFC falls down at the feet of Tom Brady, giving him and the New England Patriots a leisurely stroll to the Super Bowl, there is bad news and good news for Denver.
The bad news? How badly must the Broncos have stunk to miss the playoffs in a conference that allows Jacksonville to play for its championship?
The good news? With such weak opposition, how hard could it be for Denver to re-establish itself as the chief threat to Brady and the Pats in the AFC?
Elway will turn 58 before the Broncos play their next game that counts in the standings. Ambitious men in their late 50s don’t slow down. They’re in a hurry to beat the clock.
So why should we believe Elway will settle for a long rebuilding plan? He wants to get the Broncos back to Super Bowl contention while Miller is still young enough to be the MVP of the championship game.
For starters, Elway must address a basic flaw in the way Denver’s roster is constructed. There’s nothing wrong with paying Miller $22.4 million in 2018; he’s earned it. But there will be 900 NFL players due to make more money next season than the $718,000 scheduled for Trevor Siemian. It’s madness for the Broncos to continue to pay their starting quarterback like a backup tight end and realistically believe the team can compete for a championship.
In the NFL, money not only talks, it commands respect, because salaries are another way that players keep score.
The Broncos need a new leader at quarterback, with a voice strong enough to tell Miller to shut up and play.
There’s no certainty about which veteran quarterbacks might be on the market when the free-agent shopping spree begins in March.
But this much we do know: If the Broncos have to pay Kirk Cousins $27 million a year or Alex Smith $17 million, that’s not only the cost of doing business, it’s the price of success.
