The Denver Broncos have gone from a contender to a pretender in a matter of about a month and as the NFL trade deadline approaches, they are seen as a team that could be selling.
Though the 3-4 Broncos are struggling mightily in recent weeks, there is no doubt that there is a plethora of talent on the roster. Other teams around the league will likely look at this and perhaps try to sway the team to part with some of this talent.
One name that has been tossed around frequently is that of cornerback Kyle Fuller. But as the trade deadline of November 2 draws nearer, Von Miller’s name is one that is starting to grab attention from basically every media outlet.
There are many teams that would love to have the NFL’s active sack leader on the roster, particularly for a push toward the Super Bowl. Though Miller has been underwhelming in recent years with the Broncos, other teams could be salivating over the thought of having him.
Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team could go a long way in determining Miller’s future. It is the last game before the trade deadline and if the Broncos can win it, they would get to 4-4 and could feel rejuvenated about their chances for the rest of the season, opting to keep Miller in a Broncos uniform, which the fans would obviously love to see.
But a loss would be a fifth straight and could signal the Broncos starting to realize their fate this season and opt to get something for Miller, who is an unrestricted free agent after the season, while they still can.
Should the Broncos begin fielding offers, here are five teams with a need and some Super Bowl aspirations that could come calling.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are coming off of their first loss of the season on Thursday night and are a clear Super Bowl contender this year with a fast-rising defense.
The team will also have to find a way to replace J.J. Watt, who is likely to miss the rest of this season following an injury to his shoulder. Miller would make a lot of sense.
The move would reunite Von with Vance Joseph, who is now the defensive coordinator in Arizona. Miller always seemed to like Joseph and he could be a player Joseph could do a lot of good with.
The idea of having Von Miller and Chandler Jones, who are the top two active sacks leaders in the league, would be a lot for any opponent to deal with.
Minnesota Vikings
Why not just keep going to this well?
Broncos general manager George Paton has shown a willingness to go back to where he came from on several occasions, working deals to bring in former Vikings as well as trades to acquire others, like he recently did with Stephen Weatherly.
The Vikings currently rank second in the league with 20 sacks on the season and adding a guy like Miller could give them the league’s most ferocious pass rush. Though they started the year slowly and are currently sitting on a 3-3 record, they do seem to be a team that could make a playoff push and a deep run.
Adding Miller to a defense that already includes Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen could give the Vikings what they need to deal with the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Kyler Murray, two guys they would likely have to find a way to get through to make a run on the NFC side.
The Vikings would be considered a darkhorse team to land Miller, but the familiarity between Paton and their organization opens it up as a possibility and one that could make an already good pass-rushing team great.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are clearly one of the best teams in the NFL and made it clear they were going for it this year when they traded for Matthew Stafford in the offseason. But in a crowded NFC, they still may not have enough talent to reach their ultimate goal.
Miller could help remedy that.
The Rams have proven in recent years that they are a team willing to make the blockbuster deal in order to win the ultimate prize. But for general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay, that hasn’t happened just yet.
Bringing in Miller could help change their fortunes and provide more defensive help in a conference that is loaded with offensive talent.
This potential move would give the Rams a defense that featured Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and Miller on the field at the same time. That would be ridiculous.
Of course, compensation is the key to any trade involving Miller and the Broncos likely are not going to just give him away. Because of several high-profile trades in recent years, the Rams may not be able to meet the Broncos’ asking price.
Tennessee Titans
The Broncos would like to send Miller to an NFC team if a trade is made, but if they are going to consider all offers, they will have to consider some from within the AFC.
While a trade to another AFC West team simply is not going to happen, a team like the Tennessee Titans could be willing to pay up enough to get the Broncos to make that move.
The Titans are an emerging contender, especially after a recent win over the Buffalo Bills and with the way Derrick Henry runs the ball, they can beat any team in the league.
Defensively, they are a middle-of-the-pack pass-rushing team but veterans Bud Dupree and Harold Landry provide a good rush off the edge. Bringing Miller into that rotation would give the Titans the feared defensive player they currently lack and could help propel them to the top of the AFC and an appearance in the Super Bowl.
The Titans would probably not be the first team on the Broncos’ list to send the best player in team history to, but if they were willing to send the most back in return, it would be an idea that would have to be considered.
Dallas Cowboys
Of all the teams on the list, this one might make the most sense.
Miller was born in Dallas and starred at Texas A&M in college. He is a Texas boy through and through and if he had a preference, this may be the one other team besides the Broncos he would like to play for.
And the timing works as well, because the Cowboys are a contender and we all know how much Jerry Jones would like to win another Super Bowl. That’s why he would probably be willing to meet the Broncos’ price to acquire the star pass-rusher.
Currently, the Cowboys have just eight team sacks on the season, which ranks near the bottom of the league. Their defense is much improved from a year ago, but they still have issues getting to the quarterback.
Dan Quinn, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, is one of the better defensive minds in the league and would light up at the thought of adding Miller to a linebacking corps that already includes Micah Parsons and Leighton Vander Esch.
The Cowboys should win the NFC East going away this year, but if they want to get past the long line of contenders in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl, they might need to make a drastic move.
This is one of that would make a lot of sense for a lot of reasons.