Mile High Monday: Von Miller still has plenty of good football left

For the past 10-plus years, I have been traveling to the NFL Draft. I’ve been to New York City multiple times for the draft when it was at Radio City Music Hall. Since they moved the draft, I’ve followed it to Chicago for two years, Philadelphia, Dallas and Nashville for one year, respectively.

This year, it was supposed to be in Las Vegas, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, I won’t be in Vegas. I’ll instead be in my home studio in Roxborough broadcasting for three days.

I like preparing for the NFL Draft – and I like broadcasting during the draft even more. I’ve gone through and watched around 600 players in preparation for this draft. My grades are done and I’m currently watching the market in preparation for my first – and only – mock draft this year.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ – even when it snows in April. The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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All-Decade For Good Reason

This past week, Broncos linebacker Von Miller was a unanimous selection to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s. It’s no surprise given the dominance the 2011 first-round pick has shown every year since he entered the league.

Looking at the film shows you a player who will one day be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Examining the advanced data shows a player that has been more dominant than some realize – all while starring at the highest level.

Miller has forced 640 quarterback pressures during the past decade, which are 40 more than any other player within that time. This is just a tremendous rate historically and highlights how dominant Miller has been compared to his peers.

Last year, some said Miller had a “down” season because he only had 8.0 sacks in 2019. He did play more snaps, but on the season, Miller only played 858 snaps compared to the 843 snaps he was on the field for in 2018. While he had 8.0 sacks last year, in 2018 Miller had 14.0 sacks.

Looking at the advanced date, I highlighted last year that Miller in fact was still having a huge impact on the game. Miller led the league in incompletions caused by his pressure. He also led the league in interceptions caused by his pressure. Sacks are great, but sacks cause punts while pressures cause turnovers.

Sure, Miller may not be the player he used to be going forward, but he is far from done performing at a high level. I’m excited to see what he can do in 2020 with a fully healthy Bradley Chubb returning on the other side. Do not be surprised if Miller gets back to totaling double-digit sacks in 2020.

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Too Many Twos

The Broncos have done a fantastic job of finding talent in the second round during the past couple of drafts. In 2018, they were able to get wide receiver Courtland Sutton who has become a star for the team with superstar potential still on the horizon. In 2019, the Broncos doubled up and selected offensive guard Dalton Risner and quarterback Drew Lock. Risner could be a cornerstone of the line for a decade plus, while Lock looks like the team’s franchise quarterback.

The fact that they’ve selected so many quality players in the second round leads me to believe they should try to move to the end of the first round in this year’s draft. I explained these reasons on “Broncos Beat with Alexis Perry” this past week, and I’ll go into it further here.

the reasons against WR at 15 might surprise you….check us out! #Broncos #NFLDraft https://t.co/ZFV47l2FQn

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) April 7, 2020

A second-round pick does not get a fifth-year option like first-round picks do. That means they are going to get a new contract sooner because the team has no protection to give them that extra year to negotiate. With the way that Sutton, Risner and Lock seem to be working out, the Broncos are going to have a ton of money to spend on those three guys sooner than if they were to have selected them at the end of the first round. Add in quality first-round picks like Bradley Chubb and Noah Fant to see how Denver is going to have a lot of money tied up in about five players.

The team needs to move up into the end of the first round this year. A team like the 49ers might be willing to move out of their spot, especially since they traded the Colts for the No. 12 overall pick earlier this year. The 49ers and the Broncos have a long-standing relationship when it comes to getting deals done, and Denver could send a second-round pick this year and perhaps even one next year to move up.

The Broncos have four picks in rounds two and three this year combined. It’s time to get creative with those picks and give themselves some flexibility when it comes to the salary cap in the near future. Some people want a wide receiver in the first round, while others want an offensive tackle on day one. How about getting both by moving around? That sounds like the best plan to me.

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Tough To Bring Down

Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay averaged a broken tackle once every 7.7 carries in 2019 – a much higher rate than he had as a rookie in 2018 (19.2). Lindsay’s 29 broken tackles last season were tied with Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara for the third-highest total in the league. That’s pretty good company for the Broncos back.

Lindsay has always been a tough runner inside, dating back to his days in high school and in college. Even though he weighs around 190 pounds, Lindsay runs with a ton of heart. He’s fearless when running inside and does a good job of “getting skinny” between the tackles which makes him tough to get a direct hit on. While not a pile-pusher, Lindsay will try to punish defenders and has strong leg drive upon contact.

This season, we’re going to see Lindsay compete for the starting job in training camp with free agent addition Melvin Gordon. While most expect Gordon to win the job due to his more well-rounded game… and oh yeah, because he’s the sixth-highest paid running back in the league… I’m not going to count Lindsay out.

He’s proven doubters wrong from the day he stepped onto the football field. Lindsay is not going to just give up the starting job for the Broncos. In fact, he may push new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to change his philosophy when it comes to running back usage.

As I’ve pointed out on the airwaves and online for The Fan, much to the chagrin of Lindsay supporters, Shurmur is all about using one back while the No. 2 running back doesn’t get many touches on the year. I believe Shurmur does not change his ways in 2020, and we have multiple examples of him sticking to one running back and feeding him as much as possible.

However, I am open to the idea that Lindsay will be too good to ignore and make a traditional backup. When training camp gets here, I could see Lindsay impressing enough to make this a true running-back-by-committee. Only time will tell what happens to Lindsay in 2020, but his track record shows he’s more than just a backup at the pro level.

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React to Me!

This past week, everyone on social media was posting about “Isolation Houses” filled with famous people or members/groups from pro sports teams. It was then up to everyone to decide who they would want to spend time in a house during a quarantine much like we’re experiencing now. To no surprise, one such “Isolation House” was floating around about the Broncos.

Pick one. We are talking about this next! @NickFerguson_25 @KyleHighRadio @1043TheFan #Broncos #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/S2jn65NzSb

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) April 11, 2020

It has to be House No. 2 for me. Give me a house with John Elway and Mike Shanahan any day of the week. Imagine the stories and knowledge you’d be able to gain hanging out with those two. Elway would give you the player’s experience, while Shanahan would give you the coaching perspective. Both could give one perspective from an executive level in the pros.

When you weren’t talking business (football), then I imagine a ton of fun – mainly because of Rod Smith. His knowledge of the game is invaluable, but anytime I’ve been around Rod, the dude is just a ton of fun. Smith likes to workout and tell it like it is about business and life. Add in Demaryius Thomas and Justin Simmons, and this would be the house for me.

We talked about this on “Nick and Cecil” and got a huge response, including the hundreds of responses we received from this tweet. Did you chime in? If not, let me know who you would choose to spend isolated time with.

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