The Daily Briefing Thursday, July 7, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

CHICAGO

WR DAVID MOORE has problems with the Gainesville, Texas PD, including three pistols and edibles.

Chicago Bears wide receiver David Moore is out of jail on a $5,000 bond after being charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of weapons in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, on Sunday.

The Gainesville Police Department said in a release that an officer responded at 11:18 p.m. Sunday to a possible intoxicated person asleep in the drive-thru of a Taco Bell.

The officer discovered Moore, 27, in a silver 2018 Ford F250. While speaking to Moore, the odor of marijuana was detected and, during a search of the vehicle, a package of THC edible candies and three pistols were found.

Linebacker Matt Adams, who played under new Bears coach Matt Eberflus in Indianapolis, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor gun possession two weeks ago. Wide receiver Byron Pringle was arrested for reckless driving without a license in April. He was in Kansas City when new Bears general manager Ryan Poles was there.

Moore signed a one-year deal with the Bears in April. The 2017 seventh-round pick spent three years with the Seattle Seahawks before signing a two-year, $4.75 million deal with the Carolina Panthers in March 2021. He was released Sept. 1, then spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers.

He has 78 catches for 1,163 yards and 13 touchdowns in 50 career games.

Gainesville is the last stop in Texas as you drive from DFW up I-35 towards Oklahoma.

WASHINGTON

Excited by his new contract WR TERRY McLAURIN sees possibilities with QB CARSON WENTZ.  Daniel Valente of The Score:

One of Terry McLaurin’s first orders of business after penning his extension is building a rapport with new quarterback Carson Wentz.

The Washington Commanders receiver, who recently signed a three-year deal worth up to $71 million, described Wentz as “somebody I’ve connected with on a very personal level” during his presser Wednesday, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

He also said he would be flying out to train with Wentz following the presser and that the quarterback checked in on him throughout the offseason.

“That’s why I can’t wait to get out there and start throwing with him,” McLaurin told reporters, including ESPN’s John Keim. “I’m really excited to see what he does.”

The 26-year-old is eyeing postseason success in hopes of pushing for a Super Bowl as his next goal and believes his connection with teammates, including Wentz, will play a big role in that.

“I think, truly, you have the most success individually when you have the most success as a team,” McLaurin said. “Having that relationship with Carson, I really want to develop and make as strong as possible, so he knows he can trust not only me as a player but as a person.

“I got his back. I know he’s been through a lot in his career, and I know we’ll get to touch on that, but I’m a guy who’s going to have your back, man. And it’s not just him; that’s how I feel about everyone in this locker room (and) in this building.”

Wentz, who was acquired after a one-year run with the Indianapolis Colts, will be McLaurin’s ninth different passer since he entered the league in 2019. Despite the ever-changing status of the team’s quarterback position, McLaurin has yet to register under 900 receiving yards in a season.

CAROLINA

QB BAKER MAYFIELD agrees to less overall compensation, the Browns agree to pay much of what remains – and poof, the number one pick of the 2018 draft joins the third overall pick of the 2018 draft in Carolina’s quarterback room for a later round pick.  Jake Trotter of ESPN.com:

The Cleveland Browns agreed to trade quarterback Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday for a 2024 conditional draft pick.

The Panthers will pay $4.85 million of Mayfield’s salary, while the Browns will pay $10.5 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mayfield agreed to convert the remainder of his $18.8 million salary into incentives to facilitate the deal, which is pending a physical. Mayfield can earn back that money based on team performance, a source said.

The Browns will receive a fourth- or fifth-round pick in 2024, depending on Mayfield’s playing time in Carolina, a source told ESPN. For the pick to go to a fourth-rounder, Mayfield would have to play 70% of the snaps, a league source told ESPN’s David Newton.

Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, joins a Panthers team that already has Sam Darnold, the No. 3 overall selection in 2018, on its quarterback depth chart. The Panthers also selected Matt Corral in the third round of this year’s draft.

The Panthers have no intention of trading Darnold after acquiring Mayfield, a league source told Newton.

Now Mayfield and Darnold, who competed with each other to become the No. 1 pick in 2018, will compete again in training camp to vie for the right to be the Panthers’ starter this season, a league source told Schefter.

If Mayfield wins the job, his first starting assignment will be against the Browns, who are scheduled to visit Carolina in Week 1. The Browns are currently 1-point favorites at Caesars Sportsbook.

Panthers quarterbacks posted a 30.3 QBR last season, which ranked 30th in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Mayfield had a 35.1 QBR last season, ranking 27th of the 31 qualified quarterbacks, while Darnold was the only non-rookie with a lower QBR.

With the trade, Carolina’s Super Bowl odds went from 125-1 to 100-1 at Caesars Sportsbook, while its odds to win the NFC jumped from 60-1 to 50-1 and to win the NFC South from 12-1 to 11-1.

“We want to thank Baker for all his contributions to the Cleveland Browns,” owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “From the moment he was drafted, he gave his all for this organization and this city. With his fierce competitive spirit, he excited the fanbase and accomplished things that no player at his position had done in Cleveland for a very long time. He also made a difference in the community, whether it was hosting events at the Boys and Girls Club, honoring our troops, supporting the Special Olympics as well as countless other charitable endeavors. We are grateful for everything he did for this organization and wish him and Emily well in the future.”

This depressing stat, also from ESPN:

Mayfield, Darnold 1-2 in INTs Since 2018

New Panthers teammates Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have thrown the first- and second-most interceptions in the NFL, respectively, since they entered the league in the 2018 season.

QB                   INTS

Baker Mayfield  56

Sam Darnold     52

Jared Goff         49

Jameis Winston 47

Josh Allen         46

— ESPN Stats & Information

Warren Sharp on the Panthers progression at QB under Matt Rhule:

@SharpFootball

how Matt Rhule built a QB room

– signs Teddy Bridgewater

– trades for Sam Darnold

– trades away Teddy

– exercises Darnold’s 5th yr option

– signs Matt Barkley

– signs Cam Newton

– benches Newton

– cuts Barkley

– re-signs PJ Walker

– drafts Matt Corral

– trades for Baker Mayfield

@SharpFootball

the Panthers really traded away…

2nd

3rd

4th

4th

5th

6th

all to assemble a QB room of:

Sam Darnold

Baker Mayfield

Matt Corral

@SharpFootball

3 things I believe:

Carolina should be better in 2022 with Baker Mayfield

but Mayfield needs special “care” from an OC to thrive & I don’t think Ben McAdoo is that guy

this move is a smart attempt to save Rhule’s job this yr, but does not solve the Panthers long term QB issues

Here is why Sharp has doubts about OC McAdoo – it’s because McAdoo expressed doubts about Mayfield.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

New Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield will be playing for an offensive coordinator in Carolina who didn’t think much of him when he was entering the draft.

Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo was out of coaching in 2018, but he still scouted that year’s quarterback class and offered his own assessments of the prospects. And McAdoo was not high on Mayfield.

McAdoo told the New York Post that while he liked Mayfield personally, he thought Mayfield had major drawbacks, including his height, his athleticism, his hand size, and the offense he played in at Oklahoma.

“I didn’t see a lot of pro-style football in his college tape,” McAdoo said. “And if you’re short you have to be able to make up for it some way, somehow, and personality doesn’t do that. I didn’t think he was a great athlete. This guy is kinda like a pocket quarterback that is short and with small hands, that’s what I worry about.”

Although Mayfield went first overall in the 2018 NFL draft, McAdoo ranked him as the sixth-best quarterback prospect, behind Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and Mason Rudolph.

McAdoo deserves credit for getting the first two right: Allen and Jackson did prove to be the top two quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL draft, and few people other than McAdoo saw that coming. But what will get all the attention now is that McAdoo thought Mayfield was a mediocre prospect — and a worse prospect than Darnold, who will now compete with Mayfield for the starting job in Carolina.

Mayfield is surely well aware of how McAdoo felt, and the two of them may have to smooth things over.

SAN FRANCISCO

With QB BAKER MAYFIELD moving to Carolina, Mike Florio turns his attention to QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO.

The 2022 offseason involved not one but two quarterbacks who were waiting to be traded by teams that no longer want to keep them. With the Browns trading Baker Mayfield to the Panthers, that leaves 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as the next quarterback to move.

The situations have some similarities, but multiple key differences. Garoppolo’s $25 million compensation package isn’t guaranteed. He could be squeezed even more aggressively than Mayfield was to cut his pay, given that Garoppolo eventually could be cut and, after he passes a physical post-shoulder surgery, have no cash in hand for 2022.

Also, the relationship between the 49ers and Garoppolo hasn’t cratered, like the relationship between the Browns and Mayfield had. The 49ers can bring Garoppolo to camp. They can keep him in bubble wrap while waiting for trade offers. (Garoppolo definitely shouldn’t play along with that; however, his “nice guy” reputation likely will be used against him by the 49ers, forcing him to make things ugly by insisting to practice and play in August, if the 49ers try to keep an oft-injured quarterback out of harm’s way while waiting for a quarterback elsewhere to get injured.)

The question continues to be whether Garoppolo will force the issue, the same way that Mayfield seemed prepared to do. It’s even more important that Garoppolo get some certainty, given the possibility that the 49ers will squat on his rights until the regular season approaches before cutting him, making it very difficult to get a competitive offer from teams that already have set their depth charts.

Like Mayfield, Garoppolo needs to get things resolved before training camp opens, so that he can best position himself to win the starting job and have a successful season. The 49ers, if they want too much in trade, could complicate the situation. The financial angle becomes delicate as well, with Garoppolo undoubtedly being expected to reduce his pay — and with the 49ers possibly being expected to pick up some of the tab.

The 49ers actually may now feel even more emboldened to wait for a quarterback injury, given that they no longer have to worry about the team that loses a quarterback calling the Browns about Mayfield. (Of course, the 49ers now have to worry about the team that loses a quarterback calling the Panthers about Sam Darnold.) That makes it even more important for Garoppolo to take the Niners by the nuggets and insist that he be traded or released before training camp opens.

Complicating matters to the DB’s eye is that the only team we can identify where Garoppolo would be the immediate favor to be the starter would be Seattle.  As a division rival, the Seahawks may have a strong (and perhaps unfavorable) opinion about Garroppolo having faced him so often.  If they like him, maybe the 49ers wouldn’t want to see him twice per year.

The DB also believes the possibility that both parties would be comfortable having Garoppolo hang around the 49ers into the season is higher than Florio and others believe.  The team has to say encouraging things about QB TREY LANCE, but are you really going to trust a team that had a lead in the 4^th quarter of the NFC Championship Game just to Lance at this point?

Besides the Seahawks, who else might want to add Garoppolo at this point?  Houston (but they like, with reason, DAVIS MILLS)?  New Orleans over JAMEIS WINSTON?  The Giants over DANIEL JONES? The Lions over JARED GOFF?

– – –

An honor for T TRENT WILLIAMS.  Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

Like many offensive linemen, San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams wears No. 71 on his jersey. But in the virtual football world, he now owns digits never before associated with his position group: 99.

EA Sports, the developer of the popular Madden video game franchise, informed Williams on Wednesday that he will be the first offensive lineman in the game’s history to join the 99 Club.

In a video posted to social media by NFL running back Adrian Peterson, EA Sports representatives presented Williams with a gift box commemorating the honor.

Williams took his time investigating the items in the box before offering, “Man, that’s crazy. I appreciate it.”

In his second season with the Niners in 2022, Williams earned his ninth Pro Bowl nod and first-team All Pro honors for the first time in his career.

The 99 Club has become a coveted honor for NFL players as it represents the highest rating a player can have on the game.

DENVER

Another reason for optimism in Denver is the return to good health of EDGE BRADLEY CHUBB.  Troy Renck of Denver7:

Bradley Chubb is living life out loud. His smile has returned. Evidence unfurled in full view last Saturday at his free Chubb Foundation football camp at All-City Stadium, his first-ever in Denver.

Chubb ran through drills and taught proper stances while sharing laughs with teammates K.J Hamler and Jonas Griffith.

This is who Chubb was and is again after experiencing his first healthy offseason in years.

“I wanted to do a camp here because this is the city I am playing in. I feel like Sundays that’s all people know me as, on the field and stuff like that. It’s just cool getting out in the community, getting with these kids, letting them run around and showing them I am just a big kid at heart running around doing the same things they are,” Chubb told Denver7 in an exclusive interview. “It was fun to be out here. I was happy for the turnout and the volunteers. The Denver Dream Center [church] was amazing in helping us organize everything. These kids wanted to be around these great people and it was great to fulfill some dreams.”

When Chubb closes his eyes, he envisions rebounding like Dennis Rodman. Last year was a mess. He underwent surgery on both ankles to have bone chips removed. One occurred in the offseason, which delayed his full participation in training camp. Then he hurt the opposite ankle in the final preseason game, and played through it until the pain literally and figuratively brought him to his knees on a pass rush in Week 2 against Jacksonville.

Chubb, 26, returned after an eight-week absence and never fully regained traction that earned him his first Pro Bowl berth in 2020. He finished with 21 tackles, four quarterback hits, but zero sacks in seven games.

The last number provides motivation as Chubb will be counted on to pair with new addition Randy Gregory — he is returning from shoulder surgery — to make quarterbacks uncomfortable in coordinator Ejiro Evero’s new defense.

“We have a chance to be special with the guys we have coming back,” Chubb said, “and the new guys we added.”

Preparing without rehab has been liberating for Chubb.

“It’s been huge, to be honest with you, just because I am not worried, ‘Is this going to be OK?’ You have the mindset that, ‘I am good and I am just going to attack everyday like it’s my last,’ and that’s what I have been doing this offseason, and it’s been working out for me,” Chubb said.

So does he believe he’s ready to bounce back? Chubb didn’t hesitate.

”Yes, sir. I feel it for sure. It was one of those things that you go through so much, you know what I mean? The dam has to break at some point,” Chubb said. “I feel like things have been building up and building up and it’s finally time to let it all out.”

Chubb, who has 20.5 sacks in 41 career games, understands what is at stake. If he plays well, he becomes a candidate for the franchise tag — it is $18.7 million this season for his position — or a long-term contract as a core player. Chubb is well-liked in the building among teammates and executives. But the NFL is less sympathetic than a parking ticket. It’s about production that leads to winning.

In that vein, the arrivals of coach Nathaniel Hackett and quarterback Russell Wilson have been jarring, in a good way.

“Coach Hackett comes into the meetings with energy, with juice. Our first team meeting, we’ve got guys playing basketball against each other and bringing out that competitive edge. And he brings it over to coaches. You see them racing, or things like that, always competing,” Chubb said. “And with Russ — the complete guy he is, the complete player he is — you see it every day he comes into the building. He’s a perfect example of what you should be doing. It’s been fun to have those two guys come in and change everything and, hopefully, it finally gets us over the hump that we have been unable to get over the last few years.”

For Chubb, the vibe is contagious. It has left him him eager to return to form, to show the joy that was on display at his football camp.

“I didn’t go to professional camps growing up. I used to go to college camps and they had their athletes out there. I was looking up to them like they were the biggest thing in the world,” Chubb said, “On a day like this, I just hope the kids take a smile out of it and have a good time and tell their friends, ‘I was hanging out and playing with Bradley Chubb, KJ Hamler and Jonas Griffith.’ It’s all about them having a great experience.”

Some more background:

Morgan was appointed chairwoman and executive director of the Nevada Gaming Control board in January of 2019 after serving on the Nevada Gaming Commission.  In her role as chair of Nevada gaming’s regulatory agency, Morgan implemented sweeping changes, including ensuring licensees adopted and implemented policies against discrimination and paving the way for cashless wagering at machines and table games, as well as steering the industry through the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sandra is a proven leader, team builder, and passionate advocate for always doing the right thing,” said Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment. “I’m pleased to add her independent voice to our strong board of directors. I look forward to working with her, the rest of our board, and the management team to continue to drive results for our guests, our Team Members, and our shareholders.”

Before becoming chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Morgan served as Director of External Affairs for AT&T Services, Inc., responsible for managing AT&T’s government and community affairs in Nevada. She previously served as the City Attorney for the City of North Las Vegas and was the first African American City Attorney in Nevada. She began her career as a litigation attorney in the gaming industry.

This:

Morgan is a member of the State Bar of Nevada. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Nevada, Reno and was awarded a Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Morgan resides in southern Nevada with her husband and their two children.

LAS VEGAS

The Raiders have a new president.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

Earlier this week, word emerged that the Raiders would be announcing a new team president.

Now we know who it is.

Las Vegas will name Sandra Douglass Morgan its new president, according to Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. She is the first Black woman to be named a team president in the NFL.

Morgan is the former Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman, having held the position from 2019-2021. She was the first Black woman to serve in that role.

Akers reports that Morgan’s hiring was announced to Raiders employees via a letter on Thursday.

“I am thrilled to join you as we embark on one of the most exciting times in the history of our organization,” Morgan said in it. “I look forward to meeting each of you in person over the coming weeks.”

Morgan is now the third Raiders team president in less than a year. Marc Badain had been with the organization for 30 years abruptly resigned last year on July 19. Dan Ventrelle replaced Badain and held the position until he was fired in May.

Ventrelle later claimed he was dismissed after sharing concerns raised by employees who had complained about the behavior of owner Mark Davis in the workplace.

“Let me be clear — I am not here to avoid or sidestep problems or concerns that need to be addressed,” Morgan said in her letter. “I’ve given long and thoughtful consideration to joining you, and I’ve done so because I believe in the promise of the Raiders. Most importantly, I believe in your core values of integrity, community, and commitment to excellence. I will expect you to embody those and to hold me accountable to doing the same.”

BUFFALO

Dan Pompei of The Athletic on how EDGE VON MILLER found his way from LA, past Dallas, and on to Buffalo:

Von Miller was overcome by dark thoughts.

Earlier that day, the 33-year-old became a free agent for the first time in his career. Now he was on a private plane to Buffalo to sign with the Bills. And he was second-guessing himself.

I am going to miss my teammates so much.

There are no direct flights to Buffalo from the other cities I spend a lot of time in.

Nobody wants to play in sub-zero weather.

Miller was backing out. He told himself he was going to the Bills offices in Orchard Park and telling GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott he had decided not to sign face to face. He would offer to pay for the private plane ride.

When he arrived, he asked to use the bathroom and locked himself in for 15 minutes. Someone finally checked on him. “Hey, you all right?”

Not really.

He decided to sit through meetings with Beane, McDermott, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and defensive line coach Eric Washington. They laid out a plan, telling him how he would fit in and what they thought he could do for the team.

Beane spoke of how the Bills fell short of their goal last season mainly because they couldn’t get to Patrick Mahomes in the divisional playoff loss to the Chiefs. Miller could change that. Beane also told Miller he would bring value to a young locker room because he knows how to win Super Bowls. McDermott stressed that he wanted Miller to be himself and nothing else. Frazier and Washington spoke of using him in matchups on both sides of the line.

It didn’t sound so bad.

When Miller checked out the field at Highmark Stadium, he took a knee and paused, praying before crossing into the end zone.

“Let me be the player they want me to be. Let me be the player I know I can be. Let me bring a Super Bowl to this fan base. I ask you for good times and happiness, to have the strength and energy to come in here and work. Allow me to be a light to my teammates.”

Miller thought a lot about other places, but here he was, and here he would stay.

The question was why.

– – –

(In Denver) his impact off the field was every bit as significant. In his second season, he started Von’s Vision to provide low-income children with eyesight examinations and glasses. The charity has benefited thousands in Colorado. Miller became the most dominant presence in the community and on the team.

After practice, Miller usually stayed in the locker room for hours talking to teammates. His suburban house — nicknamed Club 58 — became the team’s nerve center. After home games, the party was always at Club 58. Then players came over for “Monday Night Football” and often showed up on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when he’d have doctors and therapists on hand so all could receive treatment. On Thursday, it was casino night. All his teammates had the security code so they could show up at Club 58 at any hour.

As much as he wants quarterbacks to fear him, Miller wants teammates to cherish him. And in Denver, did they ever. Kicker Brandon McManus named him godfather to his 3-year-old son, Luca. Broncos cornerback Kayvon Webster lived at Miller’s house for the entire 2016 season. Running back Melvin Gordon stayed with Miller during training camp of 2020. It wasn’t unusual for fringe roster players who had no place to stay to crash at Miller’s.

For four years, Miller treated Broncos employees to an all-expenses-paid weekend at the picturesque Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs (twice splitting the cost with former teammate Demaryius Thomas). Miller has invited teammates to come with him, at his expense, to the Kentucky Derby, title fights, NBA games, Drake’s European concert tour and on getaways to the Bahamas and Mexico.

“The biggest thing was seeing him grow from a boy to a man and then into a responsible adult,” his father, Von Miller Sr., says. “It was so exciting to see my son evolve to that person he is today.”

He spent a decade in Denver, and by the time he left, the Broncos had impacted him as much as he had impacted the team.

After Broncos general manager George Paton called Miller to his office last November and told him had been traded to the Rams in exchange for second- and third-round picks, Miller walked into the hallway and sobbed.

If any NFL player belongs in Los Angeles, it is Miller, who once did the cha-cha on “Dancing With the Stars,” introduced a duet at the Grammy’s while wearing a silver sequined jacket, souped up a BMW i8 to look, sound and drive like the Batmobile, posed for a magazine wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and talked about becoming the next Michael Strahan.

Miller loved almost everything about L.A. and being a Ram, especially playing for Sean McVay and alongside Aaron Donald, whom Miller helped empower as a leader. Being on the Rams was akin to being on a Pro Bowl team, he thought.

He felt like the big deal he was when he walked between the two enormous Rams heads and onto the field at glistening SoFi Stadium as oversized pylons shot smoke clouds into the air. Showcase games, where he could shine, were the norm during his time in L.A. The weather, even in the heart of winter, was glorious. He plays golf, and Southern California is a golfer’s paradise.

On the field, Miller and Donald complemented one another as well as any pass rushers could, and the results were victories small and large. In part because of Miller, the Rams won nine of their last 10 games, including Super Bowl LVI.

But even though Miller seemed to be living his quintessential life with the Rams, something was missing. He spent most of his time at home alone. While pouring himself into the Rams, he freely acknowledged he would still be a Bronco if he had the choice.

“He was kind of distraught from being separated from the Broncos and traded to the Rams,” his father says. “He was happy to go to the Rams, but at the same time, emotions were tough for that period that he was in L.A. It was a transition.”

It is possible, Miller learned, to have a deep appreciation for one place but still feel a pull to someplace else.

While the Rams were still in the playoffs, Miller got word to Broncos higher-ups that he would be on board for them to trade for Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers and bring him back. Once free agency began, however, he never heard from his old team.

Logic dictated Miller would stay with the Rams, and Miller was “90 percent certain” he would continue his life and career in Los Angeles. But while he was riding jet skis during a 16-day vacation in Nassau, his agent, Joby Branion, was putting out the kind of feelers that good agents do.

Branion thought the Bills had everything they needed to win a Super Bowl — except an elite pass rusher. Beane was having similar thoughts, and on the morning of March 16, the Bills made their play, offering $120 million over six years with $51.4 million guaranteed in the first three years.

Quarterback Josh Allen FaceTimed Miller and made a pitch: “I’d love to play with you.” Wide receiver Stefon Diggs offered a strong endorsement of the city and team. All-time sack king Bruce Smith, who also had been represented by Branion, assured Miller the Bills would treat him like royalty.

The Rams had a deal on the table that would have paid more per year on a three-year contract but with only two years guaranteed instead. At Miller’s age, that extra year guaranteed by the Bills meant something. He couldn’t turn it down.

He planned to call or text each of his Rams teammates to tell them he was leaving, which he knew would be difficult. The conversation with McVay was heavy and hard. He talked with Donald, Jalen Ramsey and Odell Beckham Jr. “Bro, you can still come back,” Beckham told him. “We’re family. You good.”

Conflicted, Miller hung up and made an Instagram post.

“It’s been crazy, man, a crazy four hours,” he said in the video. “Going back and forth, man. Lot of things I love in L.A. But I just wanted to let you know I’m coming to Buffalo. Bills Mafia! What’s good? Is 40 open?”

Then he turned off his phone. He couldn’t make or take any more calls or texts.

This spring, Club 58 went on the market and Miller’s days as a perpetual party host ended. He bought a house in suburban Buffalo not far from the Bills’ stadium and offices, going from 18,754 square feet to around 5,000. His next-door neighbor is McDermott. His three priorities were an area for a turf mat and a net to practice chipping, a cozy den to watch television and maybe play a little “Call of Duty” and a gourmet kitchen where his cook can prepare meals. Chilling now means lying on his back in an oversized playpen with his nearly 1-year-old son, Valor.

“He has lived the big-city life,’ McManus says. “He is a big-city personality and superstar, but deep down, he’s kind of a small-town guy. He loves being home, loves to watch movies and research things on YouTube. As he becomes more mature, Upstate New York, being very family-oriented, is a good place for him.”

Staying in Los Angeles would have been easier. Choosing Buffalo moved him away from what was comfortable and familiar. But after accomplishing so much — he has been to eight Pro Bowls and voted to an all-decade team and has more sacks than any active player — challenges have an allure, especially fresh ones.

Golf became an obsession a little over a year ago. With 22 clubs and six putters, he is feeling his way. He recently shot his personal record, a 98, “but it easily could have been a 94.” The man who can do things with his body on a football field that hardly anyone else can — Peyton Manning once called him the best athlete he ever played with — is just another duffer on the course. And to Miller, there is something freeing about that.

“It’s humbling,” he says. “It makes you feel normal. There’s peace in there.”

It’s what he needs now.

“In football, I don’t need to focus as much because I’ve been doing it so long,” he says. “In golf, you really need to focus. There’s so much I’m learning. It helps me be a better football player, gives me patience and helps me focus.”

The notion that Miller could be improving will juice Bills Mafia. The idea that he is declining is difficult to substantiate. Miller still bursts like a frog’s tongue after a fly. He varies his tempo like Chopin, leaving blockers unsteady. And then he makes his moves, smooth as a pickpocket.

If Miller has lost anything, it is not confidence.

“I still rush my ass off,” he says. “In one-on-one situations, I still give offensive linemen problems. I can still be in control of the rush against any offensive lineman I go against. I’m a sniper.”

Despite missing two games last season, he was third in the NFL in quarterback hurries after the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby and Donald, according to Pro Football Focus. In four postseason games, he had four sacks, 22 pressures, and six tackles for a loss. “Elite” is the word Washington uses to describe him.

“He can win with raw physicality, but the other thing you see is he wins with a plan,” Washington says. “So he’s winning with his mind as well as his physical ability.”

Miller didn’t know anyone on the Bills well before signing. This is a young team, Allen’s team, new territory for Miller. He hopes to blend in and augment an already cohesive group. He will still hang out and celebrate with a beer after victories. But during the week, he plans on being low-key. That means no alcohol most days and paying more attention to diet.

“I’m the new guy,” he says. “I have to win some games, get some sacks and make guys love me.”

He hopes Valor will have memories of watching his father. He hopes that he can lead the league in sacks for the first time and win the defensive player of the year award — he finished second to Khalil Mack by one vote in 2016. He would like to break the record for most Super Bowl sacks, which he could do with one more.

Most of all, though, Miller wants to win a third Super Bowl with a third team. No player has done that except Matt Millen, and Millen wasn’t active when he won his third with Washington. Miller calls the opportunity to win a Lombardi Trophy with Buffalo the “feather that tipped the scale.”

In suburban DeSoto, outside of Dallas, Miller owns a plot of land next to his boyhood home, where his parents still live. Chickens, turkeys, goats and cows roam there, and the dream is to build his own place on that dirt to spend his best years. He throws a “block party” in DeSoto every year — Von Miller Day. Adults eat crawfish and barbeque while kids jump in bouncy houses and ask him for autographs. He says it’s his favorite day of the year because he gets to spend it with the people who helped get him where he is.

His son was at Von Miller Day this year, as he and his mother are moving to the Dallas area. With big, soulful eyes and pouty lips, Valor owns his father like no offensive tackle ever has.

“For me, man, there’s nothing like it,” Von says. “When he falls asleep, you just stare at him, look at him breathing.”

Spending as much time as possible with Valor has become Miller’s priority, and there was a chance they could have been together much more — becoming a Cowboy this offseason would have given Miller a chance to be near everything he holds most dear.

Outside linebacker Randy Gregory initially agreed to terms to return to the Cowboys in March, but then backed out, instead signing with the Broncos. 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.”

On a shelf in Miller’s boyhood bedroom sits a ballcap with a blue buffalo and a red stripe. The cap has been there for 11 years.

In 2011, Miller was convinced he would be taken by the Bills with the third pick of the draft. He wore the cap while working out to prepare for the NFL combine. The night before the draft, when he heard the Broncos planned to take him with the second pick, he was stunned. He put the cap on the shelf, where it remained all these years.

The truth is, back then the Bills badly wanted Miller.

“We would have definitely taken him,” says Doug Whaley, the Bills’ assistant GM at the time.

After the Panthers took quarterback Cam Newton first, the Broncos selected Miller, whom Denver head coach John Fox thought was the best player in the draft. The Bills then chose defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, but they never forgot about Miller.

Beane recalls the Bills inquiring about Miller’s availability in 2019, but the Broncos were not interested in moving him then. After Paton replaced Elway as general manager, Beane asked about Miller again in early 2021. Paton told him they weren’t looking to trade him. Then, when Miller finally was on the trade block last season, Beane made a third run at him. The Broncos and Rams were a better match, however, and Miller was sent west instead of east.

About three years ago, Miller looked up Allen on Instagram and kiddingly told him they would join forces on the Bills one day. In the time since, Miller watched the Bills closely and imagined himself there. Branion says a couple of years ago, Miller told him the Bills were a team he would be interested in joining.

So really, Miller didn’t become a Bill quickly. From the dusty sprawl of North Texas to the feathered foothills of Colorado and the palm tree-lined streets of Southern California, the pull to Buffalo has been unceasing.

This wasn’t just Miller’s decision, it seems.

“This place chose me,” Miller says. “Buffalo just chose me. And it’s been trying to choose me all of these years.”

THIS AND THAT

TOP 10 LINEBACKERS

Do the Buccaneers have two members of ESPN’s list of the top 10 linebackers as voted on by 50 NFL insiders and compiled by Jeremy Fowler?

Racking up tackles doesn’t get a linebacker high on this list. What matters most to league execs, coaches, scouts and players when evaluating the NFL’s top linebackers is how they affect game plans — and how often they create turnovers.

Splash plays are paramount at the “stack” or off-ball linebacker position. That helps explain the top two in the voting: One is imperfect but elite at getting the ball back to his offense, the other is so good at sacking quarterbacks he might not even be an off-the-ball linebacker a year from now.

The position is lacking in undeniable stars. The depth of playmaking is strong, however, with more than 20 players garnering at least one vote. Plus, several 30-year-olds are still playing at a high level. Let’s look at some of the game’s top linebackers as ranked by execs, coaches, scouts and players around the NFL.

1. Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 6

Age: 26 | Last year’s ranking: 4

Leonard remains a splash-play generator. His combination of eight forced fumbles and four interceptions in 2021 led this group by a wide margin. The Colts gave Leonard a $99.2 million extension before last season because of his ability to get the ball back to his offense with length and explosion.

“He can flip the game at any moment,” a high-ranking AFC executive said. “That worries you more as an opponent than a traditional linebacker because he gets his hands on the ball all of the time.”

Through four seasons, Leonard has 11 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and 15 sacks. As a rookie in 2018, the Colts used him in a role that allowed for more blitzes, resulting in seven sacks. His sacks have decreased every year since then, due in large part to how Indianapolis uses him in space and coverage more often.

Leonard sometimes can struggle with sturdiness and tackling in the box, one exec told me, and he also started 2021 slowly because of an ankle injury. His elite instincts easily make up for that, however.

“He’s already the most disruptive linebacker, and he can do things to clean up his technique and get even better,” a veteran NFL defensive player said. “Sometimes you’ll see him standing straight up before the ball is snapped instead of in a linebacker position and you’re like, ‘What?’ But then he takes the ball away and you’re like, ‘Oh, OK.'”

One thing to keep an eye on: Leonard had back surgery in July and will miss part of training camp recovering.

2. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 10

Age: 23 | Last year’s ranking: Unranked (rookie)

Parsons is the best singular talent at the position. “He’s a one-percenter,” an AFC scout said.

Parsons’ positional flexibility as a rookie created challenges in the voting. He emerged as one of the NFL’s elite defensive players, ripping through 13 sacks as a part-time pass-rusher. He added 64 tackles and three forced fumbles and had a stellar 89.8 Pro Football Focus grade. That was all while playing at least 115 snaps at four different positions: left outside linebacker, left inside linebacker, right outside linebacker and right inside linebacker.

“I don’t see Micah as an off-the-ball LB at all,” an NFL coordinator said. “He’s really a 3-4 OLB that DQ (Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn) is scheming into situational opportunities.”

Here’s why Parsons fell into this category: The Cowboys still expect to split his snaps between rushing from the line of scrimmage and playing off the ball as a traditional linebacker.

Parsons likely will be in the edge rusher rankings eventually. His pass rush win rate (29.2%) would have ranked No. 1 in the league among edge rushers if he had played the snaps to qualify. His ability there will help the Cowboys deal with Randy Gregory leaving for Denver in free agency.

“If Dallas does anything but let him rush, they are crazy,” an NFC exec said.

Added an AFC executive: “Regardless, he’s the best playmaker on this list. Incredible talent. The speed is so good that they are smart to use him all over.”

3. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 25 | Last year’s ranking: 2

Warner is a true middle linebacker in every sense, with throwback toughness but a modernized skill set with range in pass coverage.

“A true three-down linebacker, can be the quarterback of a complex defense, can blitz, great in coverage, great awareness,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “He’s the safest bet.”

The voting validated this claim, with Warner dominating the Nos. 2-4 slots.

The lack of splash plays hurt Warner, though. He admitted during the season he wasn’t playing up to his usual standard. Warner had zero interceptions, 0.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three quarterback hits in 16 games. Later in the season, Warner had constructive talks with the 49ers — who value his leadership more than just about any other player on their roster — about not pressing. His play inevitably perked up.

Luckily for Warner, his game transcends stats. His savvy, awareness and leadership compensate.

“What separates him is his ability against the pass — that’s what makes him great,” an NFL personnel director said. “He had a down year from what I saw. But I expect him to bounce back.”

4. Devin White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 24 | Last year’s ranking: 1

There’s no way around it: White disappointed some voters after a stellar 2020 season, which vaulted him to the top of last year’s rankings.

“Chasing sacks and big plays, not making routine plays,” an NFL scouting director said. “Had some of the same concerns last year, but he was just unreal late in the season.”

In three playoff games during the Bucs’ run to Super Bowl LV, White was all over the place, with 38 tackles (three for loss), two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

White’s speed (4.4-second 40-yard dash) was still on display plenty in 2021. He had 128 total tackles with 3.5 sacks, plus a 34.6% run stop win rate, which ranked 24th in the league among linebackers.

Year 4 will be the time to put it all together.

“His ability to close on a ball carrier is special,” an AFC coach said. “Problem is he’s not always the best linebacker on his own team,” the coach said, referring to veteran Lavonte David, who appears later on this list.

5. Roquan Smith, Chicago Bears

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 25 | Last year’s ranking: 6

Smith’s body of work in Chicago is impressive. Over four seasons, he has reached premier status by filling up the stat sheet, with 524 tackles (43 for a loss), 14 sacks, 17 pass deflections and five interceptions. He ranked fifth in the league in tackles last season (163). He plays all three downs and impressed in coverage.

“Best overall LB in football in my opinion,” an NFL coordinator said. “Others might be slightly better in one of the four facets of the game — run game, pass coverage, blitzer, leadership — but that kid is top four in every category.”

What hurts Smith? Where he plays. Leaguewide expectations are low for Chicago in 2022.

“If he was in somewhere like Dallas, he’d be celebrated as maybe the best,” a Pro Bowl NFL player said. “He doesn’t get the credit he probably deserves.”

6. Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints

Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 33 | Last year’s ranking: 6

Evaluators keep waiting on the decline from the 10-year veteran, but it hasn’t happened yet.

“He might start to decline this year, but he’s so damn smart that it almost doesn’t matter,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “Does everything well.”

Davis has been a revelation for New Orleans since joining in 2018, earning All-Pro first- or second-team status in each of the past three seasons. In 2021, he had three sacks and seven pass deflections, the only linebacker on this list to hit both marks.

“He’s always been an exceptional athlete and worker, and just the maturity that comes from being in the position for so long and being in multiple schemes and the game evolving to more sub-based packages has allowed him to become the three-down prototype,” an NFC scout said.

7. Tremaine Edmunds, Buffalo Bills

Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 24 | Last year’s ranking: 8

Edmunds is one of the toughest evaluations at the position. He has elite physical traits, but his tape can leave evaluators wanting more.

“He’s always been really good, but there’s always a level you want him to go to but he hasn’t gotten to,” an AFC scout said. “Some of that is instinctual. He’s a great turn-and-chase player, going laterally.”

Multiple scouts say Edmunds, as a middle linebacker, might be miscast and would be more effective coming from the weak side. He didn’t have a great season in coverage; he allowed 476 yards as the nearest defender, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, which ranked sixth-highest among linebackers who were targeted at least 25 times.

It’s not hard to see why Edmunds, who enters his fifth NFL season, can make plays: He’s 6-foot-5, 250 pounds with 4.5 40 speed. This has helped him put up 463 tackles (26 for a loss) and 28 pass deflections, though 21 of those came in his first two seasons.

“Elite physical talent who had taken a few years to grow into being a signal-caller and nerve center of the defense,” an NFC scout said. “His skill set has always been more natural as a [weakside linebacker], but he’s improved in his reactionary quickness, angles and ability to defeat blocks to be a solid [middle linebacker].

You’re just always wondering how good he’d be with greater freedom to run and hit because he’s got so much range and closing speed.”

8. Bobby Wagner, Los Angeles Rams

Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 32 | Last year’s ranking: 3

As a six-time All-Pro first teamer, eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Wagner’s legacy is cemented. The longtime Seahawks star was released in March but landed a nice deal with the Rams later that month.

Yes, some voters agree he’s declining after 10 seasons. But the Rams obviously like what they saw on tape, including the sixth-best run stop win rate among linebackers (38.9%).

“You know what you’re getting with Bobby — production, athleticism, leadership,” an AFC scout said. “It’s just his game was elite athleticism and speed, and when that starts to go a bit, that can affect you.”

Added an NFL coordinator: “He might be in decline but [is] still a damn good player.”

One league exec said Seattle’s system protected Wagner as he aged with an alignment that allowed him to rack up tackles (170 last season). The flip side is Wagner wasn’t asked to blitz much, and he was the league’s most-targeted linebacker in coverage, with pass-catchers hauling in 63 of 82 targets for 596 yards when he was the nearest defender, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. The Rams could use him more as a blitzer than Seattle.

9. Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 32 | Last year’s ranking: 5

When tallying linebacker output over the past decade, it’s had to do better than David’s stat line: 1,222 tackles, 26 sacks, 26 forced fumbles, 54 pass deflections, 12 interceptions, 17 fumble recoveries. That’s serious production.

“For whatever reason, I don’t think he’s ever gotten enough credit,” a veteran AFC scout said. “Always thought he was a top guy. He’s good at everything that matters: instincts, playmaking, tackles, forced fumbles, PBUs, sacks … very consistent.”

A foot injury cost David five games last season, and perhaps he’s on the decline at age 32. Two years ago, David was No. 2 in these rankings. Evaluators say, however, he plays the same physical style as always with mostly the same results. He has long been one of the NFL’s best coverage linebackers, and his rate stats from last season were near the top again.

10. Jordyn Brooks, Seattle Seahawks

Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10

Age: 24 | Last year’s ranking: Unranked

Brooks elevated his game in Year 2 with 10 tackles for a loss, five pass deflections and 184 total tackles, which ranked second in the league. The 2020 first-round pick now steps into a leadership role with the departure of Wagner.

“Brooks is outstanding in the run game and one of the most explosive hitters in the game,” an NFL coordinator said. “His pass coverage needs a lot of work.”

That last part shows in the advanced metrics, as NFL Next Gen Stats credited Brooks with a league-high 658 yards allowed as the nearest defender in coverage, along with four touchdowns. Still, his ability to win head-to-head matchups was impressive. He rushed the passer only 58 times, but on those rushes, he produced a stellar 43.3% win rate. His 37.5% run stop win rate ranked 11th in the league among linebackers.

“An ascending player,” an NFC scouting executive said. “If he can get more refined in the passing game, his game can take off.”

Honorable mentions

Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings: Kendricks is known for his pass coverage but finished 2021 with a career-high five sacks. “Still really good, but there have been other guys who have passed him up somewhat,” an AFC scout said. “Probably somewhere high in that second tier of guys.”

De’Vondre Campbell, Green Bay Packers: Campbell, a role player before signing a one-year deal with Green Bay in 2021, put up an All-Pro season. “He’s a reason why some teams don’t want to take a linebacker super high in the draft, because in the right scheme you might be able to find a veteran who was miscast but really good and can be super impactful,” an AFC scout said.

C.J. Mosley, New York Jets: Mosley played just two total games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but he put up 168 tackles and two sacks last season. “Still really solid, always strong and smooth, never been a twitchy athlete,” an NFC exec said. “Hasn’t declined as much but on is on that trajectory.”

Patrick Queen, Baltimore Ravens: Queen has made an instant impact for Baltimore in his first two years and embodies the Ravens’ physical style of play. “Really good player — fast, explosive, not very big but overcomes a lot of that,” a veteran NFC scout said.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Cleveland Browns: The rookie had a strong season with 57 tackles, two forced fumbles and a 76.5 Pro Football Focus grade. “I really liked what I saw when I studied him,” an AFC personnel director said. “He’ll be a top-10 linebacker by the end of next year.”

Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville Jaguars: His breakout season in Atlanta resulted in an NFL-leading 192 tackles and six pass deflections. The Jaguars gave him a three-year, $45 million contract in free agency. “He surprised a lot of people where he started to where he is,” an NFC scout said. “He’s a solid starting linebacker.”

Denzel Perryman, Las Vegas Raiders: Finally healthy, Perryman put together a Pro Bowl season in Las Vegas. “He’s always been super instinctive,” an AFC scout said. “Not great against the pass but can do everything else.”

Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons: Once a top-10 fixture, Jones appears to be on the trading block after six seasons in Atlanta. He is rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. “Those undersized guys, when they get hurt, the wall hits you quicker,” an AFC scout said. “Still above average as a cover guy. Not dominant like he was those first few years.”

Also receiving votes: Myles Jack (Pittsburgh Steelers), Blake Martinez (New York Giants), Matt Milano (Buffalo Bills), Isaiah Simmons (Arizona Cardinals), Nick Bolton (Kansas City Chiefs), Shaq Thompson (Carolina Panthers)