End of an Era: Von Miller Gets Traded to the Rams Before NFL Trade Deadline
The saying “all good things must come to an end” was never truer on Monday, the day before the deadline, when Hall of Fame likely LB Von Miller was dealt by the only team he ever knew, the Denver Broncos, to the Los Angeles Rams for draft picks. Let us dive into the true parameters of this deal, what it means to both organizations, and who got the better end of the trade.
Trade Details
Like most Ram trades lately, they will be giving up a couple of draft picks in next year’s draft, which is similar to the Jalen Ramsey and Matthew Stafford trades. QB Jared Goff was the only notable player traded between those two deals, with the rest being draft picks or financial compensation. The Rams will only receiver Miller in the deal, while the Broncos will be getting two second-day draft picks, more specifically a second rounder and a third rounder from Los Angeles. On the financial side of it, the Rams will only have to pay 700K of Miller’s remaining salary. The other $9M will be paid by the Broncos.
Denver Broncos
Before we get to the player part of the deal, let us all acknowledge that the Broncos did very well in this deal. Even though they are 4-4, Denver does not look like a team that is going to be in the playoff mix by the end of the season, so trading Miller, who was probably going to leave in the offseason anyway, makes sense. Paying his salary this year helped the Broncos get two quality draft picks, which can be used as they start to retool their roster with younger talent. On the emotional side of it, it is a bittersweet day for both the Broncos, as well as for Miller. Miller is the franchise leader in sacks with 110.5, while also helping the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. He forced two fumbles and recorded 2.5 sacks on his way to Super Bowl MVP that year. Emotions aside though, the deal needed to be made and was a good one for Denver.
Los Angeles Rams
As the Rams have proved in the past, they are in it to win it and are doing whatever it takes to win the Super Bowl as soon as this year. The Rams went truly all in when they made the blockbuster trade for QB Matthew Stafford, who looks like an MVP candidate right now and has been worth every draft pick they gave up. With this deal, Miller will not be asked to do what Stafford has done but can be a valuable rotational piece with playoff experience. Even though Miller is not the player he once was, he is still dangerous and with guys like Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd around him, he can be even more effective. The Rams window to win the Super Bowl is open and adding Miller has only helped that case.
Who Won the Deal?
Like most deals that include draft picks, it is tough to tell who wins a deal. It is easy to say both sides won the deal, but for now, I would say the Rams won the deal. The Broncos did well with their draft picks and put themselves in a good position to regroup and retool as an organization fast, but the Rams were already Super Bowl contenders and just made those chances even better. Winning a Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, so if they can get that done, they easily win the trade.
Stats from profootballreference.com
Trade details from cbssports.com
Writer
-By: Richie Dordas