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The biggest move the Buffalo Bills made this offseason was obtaining superstar linebacker Von Miller, and signing the eight-time Pro Bowler to a monster six-year, $120 million deal.
Miller’s signing came as a surprise for three main reasons. First, there were zero previous reports linking him to Buffalo. Second, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said during his postseason press conference in January that the team wouldn’t be “big spenders” in free agency, as they were hard up against the salary cap.
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And third, Miller was fresh off winning his second Super Bowl title, his first with the Los Angeles Rams, a team that was already on track to retain the bulk of their top talent, and named early favorites to once again hoist the Lombardi Trophy following the 2022 NFL season.
Miller addressed the media ahead of the first day of the Bills’ mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, June 14, and shed light on what ultimately led him to leave the Rams. “We got all these AFC Championship [banners] out here, and not one Super Bowl,” Miller said of the training facility in Buffalo. “It’s an expectation from this franchise, this fan base, and that’s why I came here.”
“I could’ve stayed in LA, and just rode off into the sunset, rushing with Aaron Donald… But I wasn’t content. I wasn’t content where I was at.”
“I still wanted more,” the future Hall-of-Famer continued, noting how he selfishly wants to win three Super Bowl championships with three different teams, a feat that’s never been done in NFL history. “This organization wants a Super Bowl, so it’s win/win for both.”
Miller is also confident that he and the Bills can win Super Bowl LVII. “This is a special team. We’re right on the edge and I just wanna be the last drop to overflow these guys, man. Bills Mafia has been waiting for it, Buffalo’s been waiting for it and it’ll be crazy if we can go get it done.”
Miller Is Already Having a Huge Impact on the Bills’ Young Pass Rushers
The 33-year-old NFL veteran, one of the best pass rushers in the entire league, is already making a strong effort to help mold the next generation of defensive stars. During the first weekend in June, Miller hosted his sixth annual Pass Rush Summit and extended the invite to Boogie Basham, Greg Rousseau, and A.J. Epenesa to join the camp in Las Vegas.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said during a press conference last month that he expects a lot from all three players this season. “I think they’ve worked hard. Again, all three in slightly different positions in their growth cycle. But this is going to be a big offseason for those guys.
“We need them to really, really grow and develop and make a mark on our defense. And not just in a supporting role, but in a primary role.”
Rousseau, the Bills’ first-round draft pick in 2021 tallied four sacks during his rookie season, Basham, Buffalo’s second-round pick, was only active for eight games, but recorded 2.5 sacks. As for Epenesa, the Bills’ first-round pick in 20202, has tallied a total of 2.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits over the past two seasons.
Chuck Smith, a.k.a. “Dr. Rush,” was in attendance at Miller’s summit, and told The Buffalo News that the former No. 2 overall pick from the 2011 NFL Draft kept a special eye on the Bills players.
“Their eyes were wide open,” Smith said. “It was like, ‘Whoa. There’s something that I’ve been missing. Now, I’ve learned it, and it’s awesome to have the guy who brought me – and gave me a different way of seeing pass rushes – is now my teammate.'”
Miller Said Josh Allen Has That ‘Leadership’ Aura
Back in March, right after Miller signed with the Bills, he said working with a team led by superstar quarterback Josh Allen was a huge pull for him. NBC Sports Boston reporter Albert Breer tweeted, “I’m told Miller’s camp conveyed their interest in Buffalo early on and a big part of it was Miller wanting to play with Josh Allen.”
Now, that he’s gotten a glimpse of what it’s like to train with Allen, Miller’s opinion of him has only grown. “The great quarterbacks have this aura and energy about them. Josh has that leadership about him,” Miller said on Tuesday, as tweeted by 13WHAM reporter Dan Fetes.
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