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It’s Miller time in Los Angeles.
The Broncos and Rams connected on a rare blockbuster trade, with Denver shipping star pass rusher Von Miller to the Rams in exchange for a pair of Day 2 2022 NFL Draft picks, per reports.
MORE: Broncos send Miller to Rams for draft picks
Miller, who is entering the twilight of his career, gets a chance to earn a second Super Bowl ring with a team that looks just about Super Bowl-bound. Meanwhile, the Broncos get an opportunity to load up on picks for 2022 and moving forward.
Here’s how it works out:
Von Miller trade grades
Rams: B+
It’s difficult to debate that trading for Von Miller is, in fact, a good thing, but there are a few questions surrounding the deal.
NFL POWER RANKINGS: Rams at No. 3 in latest poll
The first is Miller’s health: The pass rusher currently has an ankle injury that he sustained in Week 7 vs. the Browns.He left the game and eventually missed the Broncos’ Week 8 matchup vs. Washington. While it doesn’t appear to be serious, Miller is also coming off of a serious ankle injury to the same leg, but the two are unrelated. Still, that’s a lot of trauma to one part of the body.
The second is how much Miller has left to offer as a pass rusher. That might not matter much, considering there are more than enough sacks to go around for a Miller-Aaron Donald pairing. Miller is a free agent following the season, so he may play just half a season for the Rams before signing with another team.
Still, with Matthew Stafford under center and the Rams looking to win — not just make — Super Bowl 56, it’s hard to fault a front office for trading away more draft picks while their window is open.
There’s going to come a day when the Rams need to, well, actually hold onto draft picks to help fill out the roster, especially Day 1 and 2 picks. That day isn’t here yet, and they shouldn’t have to worry about it for a long, long time.
And hey, if they do win it all this year, no one in that building will be worried about a couple of Day 2 dart throws in April.
Broncos: A
The 4-4 Broncos are slowly realizing that their hot 3-0 start was more fraudulent than factual, and moving on from Miller was a painful but easy choice.
While both of the Rams’ picks will end up being towards the back end of the second and third rounds in the 2022 Draft, to receive a pair of Day 2 picks for a player who’s not his formerly elite self is a great move for GM George Paton. There’s also the matter that Miller is a pending free agent, and to get something, let alone a second- and third-round pick for Miller, is a heck of a lot for a team that’ll need those picks in the coming year.
MORE: Grading the rookie QBs in Week 8
It does help that the Broncos still have Bradley Chubb for another year (currently out with an ankle injury), so they won’t be completely devoid of pass-rush talent without Miller.
The Broncos gave the Rams a little bit of help by picking up $9 million of Miller’s remaining $9.7 million, but that likely upped the deal from a Day 2 pick to multiple picks.
With Miller, the Broncos were probably fighting for a wild-card spot in an incredibly difficult division. Without Miller, the Broncos are probably fighting for a wild-card spot in an incredibly difficult division. Picking up the picks for 2022 helps.
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