The Broncos lost Von Miller for the 2020 season… now what?

The Broncos lost arguably the best player on their roster on Tuesday. On the last play of indoor practice, superstar linebacker Von Miller injured his ankle and immediately knew it was serious. Even though he’s going to get a second opinion on Thursday, it is believed that Miller will have to undergo ankle surgery and will miss the entire 2020 season.

Broncos’ OLB Von Miller injured a tendon in his ankle on the last play of practice today, and he is expected to need surgery that is likely to end his season, league source tells ESPN.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2020

The Broncos lost Miller for the 2020 season, so what now? Let’s take a look.

***

More Malik

In the NFL, it’s all about the “next man up” philosophy. With Miller done for the season, that man is second-year pro Malik Reed. The Broncos picked up Reed as an undrafted free agent out of Nevada in 2019 and he was so impressive in camp as a rookie that he made the 53-man roster.

Reed has been in this position before. Last year when Bradley Chubb was injured in Week 4, it was Reed who ended up getting more playing time because of it. Reed played in 15 games as a rookie, starting eight of those contests as a pass-rusher opposite of Miller.

He did not do much as a rookie despite the extra playing time. Reed finished his first pro season with 475 snaps played, 16 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and just 2.0 sacks – with only 1.0 sack coming as a starter. He did not flash the same ability as Shaq Barrett used to when he was with the Broncos, and Reed needed to show better in training camp this year.

Reed did just that as he was a consistent player in practice. I was out at training camp for a handful of days and every day I was in attendance I came away impressed with Reed. He has a quick first step and can guess the snap count to further benefit is get off. Reed uses that quickness to burst to the quarterback when he’s within reach. There was no tackling to the ground of course, but Reed did a good job of showing he could get to the quarterback consistently.

With Miller down for the year, Reed needs to take a huge step forward in his second season.

***

Trading Places

The Broncos might want to explore a trade for a pass-rusher with Miller done for the year. It seems a bit outlandish given the regular season is starting this week, but if the price is right, then anything can happen.

In fact, the Broncos used trading to add two key starters to the defense this offseason. They traded the Titans for defensive lineman Jurell Casey and they traded the Jaguars for cornerback A.J. Bouye earlier this year. Casey and Bouye are going to be counted on to be quality starters in 2020. Perhaps the Broncos could convince a team to trade a backup they could use as a potential starter – or perhaps the Broncos could trade a team for one of their starters. The latter move would be quite pricey and quite unlikely this early in the season.

A backup player the Broncos could add with the upside to be a starter in the right situation is Titans linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. He signed a one-year deal with the Titans this offseason after disappointing over the last three seasons with the Falcons. Beasley then showed up to training camp a few days late and was promptly put on the NFI list with an undisclosed injury. He was just activated off the NFI list a few days ago, but his status for Week 1 is up in the air.

The Titans went out and added pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney and he should get plenty of work when he’s up to speed with the Mike Vrabel defense. That shouldn’t take too long as Clowney played in Vrabel’s system when he was the linebackers coach – and later the defensive coordinator – with the Texans. With Clowney added to the mix, Beasley becomes more expendable. Is Beasley healthy? Is he motivated? Would he be a good fit? These are questions the Broncos could be looking into.

The Broncos might be better off trading the Washington Football Team for veteran linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. He came into the league (2011) the same year as Von Miller and has been one of the most consistent pass-rushers (and under-appreciated players) in the league. Kerrigan is on the final year of his contract with zero guaranteed money remaining on the $11.6 million deal.

Washington might find Kerrigan to be expendable because of the two young – and potential superstar – pass-rushers they’ve added in the last two drafts. With Chase Young, the best player in the 2020 NFL draft, and Montez Sweat (one of the best players in last year’s draft) Washington could easily move on from Kerrigan. The move for Kerrigan makes a ton of sense for the Broncos, but adding him might cost them a premium pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Is Kerrigan worth a first-round pick? Is he worth a second- or third-round pick? These are also questions the Broncos must be looking into.

***

Is Anyone Out There?

Another avenue the Broncos may want to explore is free agency. When these types of situations arise, one tends to look at the players available in free agency to see if any have previous connections with the coaching staff. It’s less than a week until the start of the regular season, and things are incredibly thin when it comes to available pass-rushers.

Aaron Lynch is a pass-rusher who has played under Broncos head coach Vic Fangio two times. He played under Fangio with the 49ers and with the Bears, so he knows the system and could work as a part-time player on the defensive line. Lynch did sign a one-year deal with the Jaguars earlier this year, but the veteran announced his retirement in the middle of August. Perhaps a reunion with Fangio would be enough to get him out of retirement and back into the league.

Terrell Suggs is going to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday – just like Miller. Most will remember him for his championship play with the Ravens, but Suggs did join the Chiefs last year and ended up winning another Super Bowl. Having that sort of history in the league would make Suggs an interesting addition for the Broncos. He’s not the player he used to be, but Suggs brings an energy and intensity to the field that few can match.

Like Suggs, veteran linebacker Clay Matthews is still available as a free agent. He will mostly be remembered for his time with the Packers, but Matthews did play last year in the Rams defense. Matthews does not have experience with coach Fangio, but he’s a seasoned veteran who can be a part-time pass-rusher in 2020. Like all the free agents available, Matthews is not the player he used to be but he might help the Broncos at a time when they desperately need help at the pass-rushing position.

Von Miller career grades/rank (2011-2019):
🔸 94.6 PFF Grade (1st)
🔸 94.1 RunD (1st)
🔸 93.9 Pass-Rush (1st)

Undoubtedly one of the greatest pass-rushers of all time. pic.twitter.com/AohhGGe3OV

— PFF (@PFF) September 8, 2020

The veteran free agents are options, but they are not at the same place Miller was this season. Simply put, no matter who is added or helps takes Miller’s place, it will be extremely difficult to replace one of the best pass-rushers in modern NFL history.

Follow @CecilLammey