One of the big names in this year’s free agency in the NFL was Von Miller. After trading to the Rams in the middle of the 2021 season and winning the Super Bowl, the veteran linebacker was looking for another team this year. Unsurprisingly, Miller was in the Cowboys’ orbit. Even reports indicated that he was close to reaching Dallas before signing a millionaire contract with the Buffalo Bills.
Now, a few months later, Miller himself confirmed that he was willing to sign with the Cowboys. He even could agree to collect less money than he earned in 2021. This was revealed by the two-time Super Bowl champion in a interview for The Athletic.
The article details that the Cowboys optioned Miller just after Randy Gregory’s contract extension fell through. Said extension was going to be for five years and $70 million ($14 million annually). However, Gregory rejected the contract because of a clause in it, and signed with the Broncos a deal similar to the one offered by Dallas.
After that, and given Von Miller’s free agent status, the Cowboys offered him the exact same contract they had offered Gregory: five years, $70 million, with two years guaranteed. But Miller declined the offer.
“I told them that I was ready to go with the Cowboys”Miller said in the interview for The Athletic. “I would have accepted less money to go to Dallas because it is Dallas. But I wouldn’t have accepted much less.”
Von Miller says here that he told the Cowboys that he was ready to join them and that he would have taken less to do so because they are who they are.
He notes that they offered him the same deal that they offered Randy Gregory (5 years, $70M). https://t.co/2t6hWWzPWE
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) July 7, 2022
Recall that last March, Von Miller signed a 6-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills, of which $51.4 million is guaranteed. Instantly, this became one of the big moves this offseason.
With the Bills, Miller will earn an average of $20 million a year, far more than the $14 Dallas offered him. However, seeing that in 2021 the veteran linebacker made close to $17.5 million, was he really willing to take less money to play for Dallas?
Of course, the Cowboys’ front office doesn’t usually make big signings in free agency. And while Miller’s 33 years weigh against him, his durability and his production suggest he still has enough fuel to play at a high level for several more years. That explains the six-year deal with the Bills, and that the Cowboys were willing to sign him to five years.
Given this, some might say that Miller “used” the Cowboys to get a bigger contract. However, NFL Network’s Jane Slater points out that of all the players who have been buzzing about reinforcing Dallas this offseason, Miller was the one with real, genuine interest.
The only real free agent pursuit story that was real. Reported it then he wanted to come to Dallas but Dallas doesn’t spend the money on FAs https://t.co/iJygo4QHt1
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 7, 2022
This is exactly why the Rams signed Von Miller.
12 minutes. 4 above Cincinnati.
– Diego Campoy (@DCampoy10) February 14, 2022
Recall that, last March, Miller was persuaded to sign with the Cowboys by DeMarcus Ware. The ex-Dallas, who was also Miller’s teammate in Denver, tried to convince the two-time Super Bowl winner and Dallas native to “come home.”
However, and beyond new details coming to light, the outcome of the story we already know. The Cowboys didn’t take this opportunity to beef up one of the best defenders in the NFL. Instead, they used the money to invest in both Gregory and Miller for Dorance Armstrong’s contract extension and Dante Fowler’s addition.
Of course, having Von Miller, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence together as a trio of pass-rushers would have taken the Dallas defense to another level. Now, the cowboy team is crediting the performance that might come from not only Armstrong and Fowler, but also second-round rookie Sam Williams.
Besides, Miller hasn’t been the only elite linebacker to show interest in signing with Dallas in recent months. Bobby Wagner, formerly of the Seahawks, also sounded like a possible reinforcement for Dallas. But Stephen Jones, the team’s executive vice president, ruled out the arrival of Wagner apparently for financial reasons.
Now, there’s a third option remaining as a free agent to date: Anthony Barr. After eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, the 30-year-old linebacker could be a good addition to the Dallas defense. However, there are no reports of any move by the Cowboys on Barr, either because they think it’s necessary to bring him in or because they’re confident in their current linebacking corps.
As for Von Miller, just think what Dallas’ defense would have been like adding the two-time Super Bowl winner. If the veteran linebacker was “on a silver platter,” this should be counted as another failure of the Cowboys’ management this year. And so, it would add to the “poor” trade of Amari Cooper and the failed extension of Randy Gregory.
