Linebacker Von Miller knows that OTA’s aren’t the seismic events that the NFL media make them out to be; the Broncos’ best player made that clear with an ice-cold splash of reality to reporters assembled at Dove Valley on Tuesday.
“I mean, its OTA’s. You really can’t put too much into OTA’s. Last year in OTA’s, I thought we were going to win the Super Bowl,” Miller said. “You really just can’t put too much into OTAs.”
Miller could, however, put stock in his first impressions of Bradley Chubb, the Broncos’ highest-selected draft pick since Miller himself. “He’s great. He reminds me of myself,” Miller said. “It’s good, it’s some of the same stuff I saw—it’s some of the same stuff that I was doing with [Former Broncos OLB] DeMarcus [Ware]. So, it’s cool. It’s cool to pay it forward and tell him some of the same stuff that DeMarcus told me and [Former DE] Elvis [Dumervil] told me. It’s cool.”
After announcing that his now-annual pass-rush summit would be held from June 27-29 at Big Cedar Lodge outside Branson, MO, and suggesting that Ware would be joining him, Miller crowed about the talent that his get-together will assemble.
“It’s a small fraternity of guys. I know guys on every team. [Chiefs outside linebacker] Justin Houston, I can just call him and tell him to invite [Chiefs outside linebacker] Dee Ford and the other guys. [Defensive end] Andre Branch with the Miami Dolphins; I can just call him and tell him to invite all the guys. [Defensive lineman] Arik Armstead and [DE] Cassius Marsh with the San Francisco 49ers; they were already there year, so telling them to invite the other guys. You put the word out, and it’s like the Justice League. All the superheroes just come out of nowhere.”
When asked if Miller, an avid fisherman, would make a day of the lake part of the event, Miller nodded, saying, “Of course, of course.” The jovial Broncos linebacker couldn’t help but have a little fun with the media, asking, “You want an invite? Send me your email, I’ll get you an invite.”
Then he chuckled. “No, I’m just lying. I’m not going to invite you.”
“We’re trying to get everybody out here healthy and into the season,” Miller said. “I would rather guys not practice in OTA’s or training camp, but play in the season, because that’s where we really need the guys. That’s where we’re really keeping score. We’re really not keeping score out here. Just getting guys in shape.”
CREDIT: Denver Broncos/Facebook