Enough pretenders, LA Rams Von Miller leaning to contender

The LA Rams are building solid positive momentum right now, as the defending Super Bowl Champions are once more rumored to be leading the pack for outside linebacker Von Miller. No, this is not some whisper from an unnamed source or some Blogging the Boys survey. This rumor is a report from one of the best NFL Insiders out there, NFL.com’s very own Ian Rapoport.

Dramatic suspense? This emotional roller coaster has been one helluva ride folks, and it’s not over just yet. But there is always an update, right? Well, in the 48 hours leading up to the start of the new NFL season, it certainly seems that way.  Several days ago, the LA Rams were in a five-way dead heat for extending Von Miller. Yesterday, all but the LA Rams dropped out, and then two more NFL teams entered the fray.

But when it comes down to the LA Rams (defending Super Bowl Champions), the Dallas Cowboys (who have yet to be competitive in the NFL Playoffs in recent years), or the Cleveland Browns (a team that has yet to truly turn the corner), it seemed quite obvious that anyone seeking to optimize their legacy and thrill of playing in the NFL would be viewing the LA Rams as the clear front-runner.

Today, NFL.com’s NFL Insider, Ian Rapoport reports that is how the Von Miller sweepstakes are shaking out:

And that’s just the way it is.

The NFL deserves Aaron Donald/Von Miller/Leonard Floyd trio

Call the pairing of Aaron Donald and Von Miller  Thunder and Lightning. Call them the Hammer and Anvil. You can even call them Block and Buster. But the pair of Von Miller and Aaron Donald is one that is proven to be unmatched in the NFL. Von Miller’s second half of the 2021 NFL season was almost a duplication of his 2016 Super Bowl season with the Denver Broncos. And that is simply due to the fact that he lined up next to Aaron Donald.

Yes, other teams can offer money. Other teams can promise to start Von Miller, and can even boast about being a playoff contender in 2022. But there is no one in the NFL like All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Leonard Floyd are the Trifecta, a trio of pass rushers who can change the course of a game’s outcome on a single play. And the more on the line, the more determined they become to change the outcome.

Yes, the LA Rams can get solid production at the outside linebacker position with other options. And the fact is that the market for those other players has been a bit stalled because so many teams, players, and agents await the outcome of the LA Rams’ efforts to re-sign Miller. If they fail to do so, who wouldn’t want to line up in this defense and benefit from skyrocketing production?

The LA Rams have a lot on the line. But whoever comes to the team will get to play next to DL Aaron Donald. Ultimately, it’s Donald who wants to play next to Von Miller. It comes down to Von Miller. Does he want to play with pretenders or the contender?

This feels like the light at the end of the tunnel folks. Look for something positive on this story soon.