ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Hope floats. Usually any time John Elway uses the words "contract" and "Von Miller" in the same sentence.
In the multitude of times the Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager has been asked if a long-term deal with Miller will get done before training camp, the answers have been the same.
"I hope so," Elway has said.
Or, "Hopefully." Or even, "I’m hoping."
Both sides took a hiatus because of the draft -- even Miller said, “I understand that ... it’s fair." Now the draft is over, the Broncos continue to roll through their offseason program and the reigning Super Bowl MVP remains unsigned with a July 15 deadline approaching.
As the Broncos’ designated franchise player, Miller has been tendered a guaranteed one-year offer of just over $14 million. As the "exclusive rights" franchise player he can only negotiate with the Broncos and can receive offers from no other teams.
Miller’s contract is No. 1 on the Broncos' to-do list. Elway expressed some optimism when asked after the draft if the two sides could meet the July 15 deadline.
“I hope so ... we want to get something done ... Von knows how I feel about him, he knows how the Denver Broncos feel about him," Elway said.
Asked to give the order of potential deals for several players, including linebacker Brandon Marshall and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, Elway said simply: “Von first ... and it's a cash issue with that."
Miller, too, has maintained optimism, saying at an event for his foundation last week that he believes a deal will get done.
If history provides any preview, though, a deal will come hours before the deadline, as it did for each of the last two position players the Broncos have tagged as the franchise player -- tackle Ryan Clady and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Like Miller, Clady and Thomas skipped the team’s offseason program.
The talks over Miller’s deal will continue to center on the guaranteed money, especially the up-front cash Miller would receive. Before the draft, the Broncos had made one formal contract proposal to Miller, and Miller’s representatives had made one formal counter-proposal to the Broncos.
The Broncos' initial discussions have centered on a deal that averages $18 million overall, including the guaranteed money. The Broncos are looking at Justin Houston's $52.5 million guaranteed in a six-year, $101 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs -- Olivier Vernon also got $52.5 guaranteed in his deal from the New York Giants in March -- in their assessment of how much guaranteed money to offer.
Miller and his representatives have eyed something more on the order of the $60 million guaranteed in Marcell Dareus' six-year, $96.57 million deal with the Buffalo Bills or Ndamukong Suh's six-year, $114.4 million deal with the Miami Dolphins that included $59.96 million in guaranteed money.
Suh's deal also includes full salary guarantees for the first three seasons -- 2015, '16 and '17.
The Broncos will also have to do some salary-cap work to get Miller’s deal done. Because the up-front money to Miller would be so substantial the Broncos will have to hinge everything else they do for the offseason on what happens with Miller.
According to NFL Players Association figures this week, the Broncos have $7.051 million worth of salary- cap space with the ability to create as much as $9.1 million more by using a clause already in Thomas’ contract to turn base salary into a signing bonus.
The Broncos must also sign their rookie class with that salary-cap space, and their drafted players included quarterback Paxton Lynch.
“(I’m) leaving it to my agents," Miller said this past week. “That's why I got those guys in that position. I trust those guys representing me and representing how I feel about this whole situation. They've done a great job up to this point. So, yeah, everything will take care of itself."