Miller Has Leverage As Deadline Approaches

There’s nothing that spurs real negotiation like an actual deadline.  In roughly three days, each player that has been labeled with the franchise tag will lose the ability to negotiate a long-term deal with their team and thus play the 2016 season under the terms of the tag or sit out.

The most interesting negotiation revolves around Super Bowl MVP Von Miller.

According to a 9 News (Denver) report, the Broncos have increased the guaranteed portion of their six-year, $114.5 million offer to Miller to roughly $61 million.

This is a major increase over the estimated $38 million that the Broncos were previously offering Miller during the spring.  That offer reportedly “insulted” Miller who said multiple times that he would be prepared to sit out the season rather than play under the tag.

Does anyone believe that Miller would sit out the 2016 season?

In a word, no.  Nobody has yet and it would be a measure of lunacy for a player to miss one prime earning year in their career when they can make better than $14 million.

The real pressure to put together a long-term deal falls on Broncos czar John Elway.  Although Elway is one of the most beloved humans ever in the state of Colorado, he’s had a tough six months following the team’s Super Bowl 50 title.

Elway misjudged the free agency market and allowed key players such as Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan and perhaps most importantly, quarterback Brock Osweiler to leave.  That, followed up with a self-inflicted shooting incident with cornerback Aqib Talib has made the Broncos offseason extremely close to a nightmare.

Not getting a deal done with one of the best pass rushers in the NFL by Friday would be another crushing blow to the Denver offseason.  Miller is the best player on the team and he plays a premium position. There’s little doubt that he would miss all of training camp at the very least and even if he showed up at the beginning of the season there’s no telling what kind of shape he would be in and he would be susceptible to injury.

Our best guess is that Miller flexes his leverage muscle and a deal gets done this week.

Bucs Have Their Hands Full With Grimes

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free agent cornerback Brent Grimes they knew that they were getting a very good cover cornerback.  They also knew that they were getting a bit of a PR nightmare with his wife, Miko, who used to have her own radio show and has been outspoken about her hate for Grimes former employers, the Miami Dolphins.

Miko’s thumbs were a surrogate for her mouth as she made a remark that can be construed as anti-semetic on Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and his hiring of GM Mike Tannenbaum.

“Gotta respect ross for keeping his jew buddies employed but did he not see how tannenbaum put the jets in the dumpster w/that sanchez deal?”

The owners of the Bucs, the Glazers, just happen to be Jewish.  Surely Miko’s comments have reached all the way up to the front office and we’re waiting on a response from the team.

Our friends at JoeBucsFan.com reached out to Miko and she explained herself:

“The media is the problem. They make things stories so they get clicks,” Miko told JoeBucsFan.com. “They are the one’s that want the fame. They wanna be famous for writing the story that got the most clicks even if it’s not really a story at all. They tell you to be offended in the title usually. It’s brainwashing at its best! I get harassed for saying [Ryan] Tannehill is a bum but Johnny Manziel’s dad can say he’s a junkie and he hopes he gets arrested so he doesn’t end up dead, and he’s praised! What if those comments from his dad are the ones that sent Johnny over the edge?

“What I’m hearing is this: If you say something the media likes and it fits their narrative (Johnny [Football] is a junkie) then whoever agrees gets praised. But if you say things that don’t fit their narrative (Ryan Tannehill is a bum) you are called a cancer and your husband should lose his job. How come Johhny’s dad isn’t a cancer? What kinda father writes those things about his son? Why not help him or talk to him privately? Everyone uses social media how they see fit. Whether you are a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a realist, or a comedian. You have the freedom to say what you want. Now if you’re in a position where saying what you want can get you fired, and you can’t feed your family, then you have to be careful. I don’t have an employer. No one can fire me. I’m very wealthy, so I don’t have an issue feeding my family. But I’m also not a racist.

“If I were, I’d tell you that and there is nothing anyone can do about it because I’m not employed by anyone and I’m not poor. I’m a woman that speaks her mind on any subject. Does it offend people? Sometimes yes. Am I intending to offend a certain race, religion or sex? Hell no! People take things out of context all the time and think their feelings matter more than they do. I’m offended HOURLY on social media. But do I go around ganging up on people, no. Know why? Because I don’t care about other people’s opinions. Its theirs! They are entitled to it. Even if it offends me. I’ve learned as a black person in America to have thick skin. People that look like me have been called a [N-word] for centuries so pardon me for not crying every hour of my day when I get Tweeted that I’m nothing but a [N-word] that got lucky and married another [N-word] that’s really good at sports. I say all that to say this: No organization would ever give a sh*t what a family member said if the media didn’t bully them into giving a sh*t. Period. They don’t care! But they will fake like they care and fire people so that the fans don’t know they don’t care. That’s where sports are today. Your surgeons, police, politicians and religious leaders aren’t randomly street drug tested but athletes are. How fuc*ing crazy is that? Athletes aren’t performing life saving surgeries, but they better not puff a joint or do a line of coke or they’re fired! Politicians create laws but nobody ever wonders if they’re high on meth while running our lives. This country is full of sh*t and they treat athletes as if they are the law makers and life savers of the world. They’re Just Athletes! That’s It! Why is it such a big deal to people what their families say??? Who cares???”

So what will be the response by the Bucs?

Likely, nothing.  Grimes is a good guy who married a woman who speaks out.  If he were a fringe player, it’s possible that he would be cut.  He’s a very good player who the team gave a significant amount of guaranteed money to earlier in the offseason.

The Glazer family has a history of doing nothing with players who have questionable character (and nobody is questioning Grimes character, just his decision making in choosing a partner).  They didn’t say anything when former first-round pick Aqib Talib attacked a cab driver.  They also allowed tight end Jerramy Stevens to make multiple mistakes which led to arrests.

Taking action on someone who’s basically a fan would be out of character for the family and really, a bad look, no matter how insensitive her comments are.

There will be other issues involving Grimes’ wife Miko, and if the Bucs start off slow her vitriol will likely turn to someone wearing red and pewter.  As long as Grimes keeps performing on the field, none of it will matter.