Von Miller reveals just how short Cowboys’ offer was to bring him home
The Dallas Cowboys had egg on their faces following the fiasco with Randy Gregory. After trading away Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns on March 12, for a fifth-round pick, it looked like the team was going to be able to retain their biggest free agent. Only things fell apart after the sides agreed on five years, $70 million, over some language within the specifics of the deal. Gregory ended up in Denver with the Broncos for the same contract, minus the testy clause.
Trying to rebound from the loss, Dallas turned their attention to trying to acquire free agent Von Miller, two-time Super Bowl champion and Texas A&M alum. Miller was interested in signing with the Cowboys to return home, only the offer wasn’t close to what it would take. According to Miller, Dallas offered the same deal it offered Gregory, five years for $70 million according to an in-depth piece in The Athletic. That paled in comparison to the deal Miller signed with the Buffalo Bills, six years for $121 million.
Miller says Dallas then offered him the same contract they had negotiated with Gregory — a reported five-year, $70 million deal with two years guaranteed.
“I told them I was ready to come to the Cowboys,” Miller says. “I would have taken less to go to Dallas because it’s Dallas. But I wouldn’t take that much less.”
According to Miller, he actually few into Buffalo to turn the Bills down, but they were able to convince him that was the place the free agent needed to be.
Dallas is well known to not be willing to pay outsiders, a ton of money, but offering Miller the same amount they were offering Gregory seems ridiculous. Miller has only missed more than two games in a year once in his career. Gregory only has one season in which he’s missed two games or less.
Miller has nine seasons with at least eight sacks, including 9.5 in 2021. Gregory matched his career high of six in 2021. The age factor certainly plays a part, as Miller’s deal with Buffalo caused a ton of jaws to hit the floor.
It isn’t seen as a wise investment, until fans remember Jerry Jones’ own words that the investments that have worked out for him have all been seen as overpays at the time.
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