Ballerific Sports: Von Miller And The Contract Dilemma – blogged by @niksofly

To the average eye, the franchise tag is this magical ticket to a contract and guaranteed money. The organization feels you are the key player and they want to pay you at the highest value on the market for that year. It sounds great, but it’s not as glitzy as it seems.

Football, although our Sunday afternoon and Monday Night entertainment (sometimes on Thursday as well), is a business-a big one at that. The franchise tag is sometimes used to keep players from venturing elsewhere. While the player is paid his market value according to the top-producing athlete at his position, the deal is relatively short term and doesn’t offer the longevity a player wants. This may be a key reason #DenverBroncos DE, #VonMiller has refused to play under the franchise tag according to a recent post on Miller’s social media.

Miller is arguably one the top pass rushers.  He is also a free agent and a contract without longevity isn’t what an individual of his skill set is looking for or needs. Last season after Miller’s rookie contract expired, Von was given an one year contract worth a little over $14 M . This year the Broncos slapped the franchise tag on him in hopes to keep him an additional year and frankly he isn’t here for it and neither are any individuals that understand football and the business.

Players sign contracts with astronomical figures all the time. The main number that attracts most people (the total worth of the contract) seems glitzy and glamorous, but it’s fully guaranteed money  that details with a player is worth to the team.  If a player signs for $100 over the course of six years with only $55 million guaranteed, then essentially he is worth $55 million.  Let’s say the last 3 years of the contract, the player is to be paid $16 M, $15M and $14M. The player could be released due to salary caps after his third year without receiving one cent of the remaining $45. Yes, his contract may be worth $100M, but unless it is a fully guaranteed $100 M, he may not see all of it. The Broncos offered Miller $114.5 M over six years with an overall guarantee of $58M paid over the course of the deal. Only $39.8 M would be paid over the first two years.

In Von Miller’s case, I do believe it conjunction of longevity and money, with money being a huge factor (and rightfully so). Miller is relatively young. At 27/28, he has his entire life ahead of him, but in terms of football, no matter how athletically gifted or physically healthy you are, 27/28 is rather close to the curve of declination  (around the age of 30 or so). That means if he signs the franchise tag, he will be paid highly for one year placing him without commitment the next season and one year closer to the “declining” realm. And although it isn’t expressed overtly at times, age is a reoccurring theme of concern. No one wants to sign an “older” player for a large tender if production is at the risk of decreasing. If the Broncos could reach a deal that guarantees a larger amount within the first few years and offers longevity, then they will keep Miller. If not, Miller could be reeking havoc from the field of another team. The Two have until July 15 to agree to a deal. 

 -Niko Rose