GM George Paton of the Denver Broncos took the first steps in his term. After releasing nearly $ 25 million in cap space by releasing cornerback AJ Bouye and striker Jurrell Casey, the Broncos now has approximately $ 48.4 million in cap space close to the free agency period.
The boundary space created places the Broncos among the top 5 in the boundary space available in the league, but that space can quickly dissipate as options, proposals and the franchise brand (potentially) are placed on different players.
One of the biggest questions that Paton faces in 2021 is what to do with star pass rusher Von Miller. After missing the 2020 season after suffering a fibular tendon dislocation in an ankle that required surgery, the 32-year-old’s future in Denver was clouded.
The reason for Miller’s uncertain future in Denver is not due to his level of play, as he is still seen as one of the top pass brokers in the entire NFL, despite being on the hill for 30 years. It is his bloated beat in 2021 that muddies the water.
Currently scheduled to count $ 22,225 million against the limit, the Broncos could save $ 18 million with just $ 4.225 million in dead money from not exercising Miller’s option this season. With Denver needing to make a decision about the future of Justin Simmons, defensive striker Shelby Harris has prepared to hit the open market and the obvious holes in the cornerback, the Broncos must spend a good deal of their cap available on a veteran reserve quarterback. Every dollar counts.
Losing Miller would be painful, but it may be the easiest way for Paton to make room for capitalization, now that Bouye and Casey have been dismissed. Will the Broncos make that difficult decision?
In an appearance in The Pat McAfee ShowNFL insider Ian Rapoport shed some light on Miller’s future prospects in Denver.
If he is free, he will have a very good market, “Rapoport told presenter Pat McAfee.” I will say at this point, I doubt he is free because they have the option of a team coming. I don’t think they will choose the option because I think there is a good chance – I think there is a real chance that the two sides will come together and make sense. He wants to end his career in Denver. He is incredible. Lost last year due to an injury. They have cover space. It is hard to improve by letting one of your best players go, so I imagine there is some kind of compromise to soften the cap and make sense.
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After how Miller reacted even to the notion of a contractual restructuring at 104.3’s The fans Stokely and Zach show at the beginning of last season, a lot of Broncos Country was just concerned about Miller’s future. It would be difficult to dismiss Miller for nothing, just to see him enter a championship contender and play at an elite level for another team, but sometimes that’s the reality of the NFL.
Similar to when DeMarcus Ware left Dallas for the Broncos, not all legends play their entire careers for the team that recruited them in today’s NFL. The Broncos have the upper limit to exercise Miller’s option this year and survive, but as Rapoport said, Paton is more likely to work on an extension to the Miller field that adds years to his business, increases the guaranteed money in later years. and reduces part of Von’s 2021 limit hit future years, where the limit is likely to be trending upwards again.
Extending the still incredibly valuable Miller for years to come while increasing spending flexibility by lowering Von’s 2021 cap is smart accounting and smart business. Of course, there is always some level of concern about extending an aging pass due to a serious injury.
The Broncos, as McAfee would state later in the interview, could certainly use the savings limit by stepping past Miller to be more aggressive in the quarterback market this year. However, besides Dak Prescott being potentially available, there is really no quarterback worth considering breaking the bank on the open market.
If the Broncos is able to work on an extension and restructuring for Miller, Denver is adding financial flexibility in an off-season that many teams will not be able to spend. That advantage could give Denver a chance to profit from some short-term bargains, and if not, Paton could simply use the savings cap created by restructuring to continue until 2022.
Taking the release of Bouye and Casey out of the way, decisions are now much more difficult for Paton. Can the Broncos reach a long-term agreement with Simmons before having to use the franchise brand?
Will Denver exercise Miller’s 2021 contract option or can the two sides come to an agreement to extend Von and make his salary more friendly to the team during a restricted cap season? For those who hope that Miller will become one of the rare elite players to play his entire career with a team, Rapoport’s latest information generates new optimism, despite Von’s constant legal questions.
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