As LA Rams training camp opens, Von Miller missing them already

The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but that has not stopped LA Rams defensive players from jumping to sign the biggest contracts in the past. This year, the money man was none other than former LA Rams outside linebacker Von Miller, who made it rather clear that he was a mercenary in the second half of the 2021 NFL season.

That was a result of his having been surprisingly traded away by his former and only team he had played for, the Denver Broncos. I get it. He was a bit heartbroken as it all happened as a huge surprise, catching him completely off-guard. So when he became eligible for the NFL Free Agency market, he followed the money. Or rather, the guaranteed money.

And that placed the LA Rams in the rearview mirror.

But there is a saying about wishing for something. It goes like this: “Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.”  Now, I’m not here to push shade at the guy. Von Miller helped propel the LA Rams to Super Bowl LVI, and to win the NFL Championship.

Von Miller is playing for the Buffalo Bills now, and he will be playing there for the next six years. That is from the 2022 NFL season through the 2027 NFL season. Imagine your future being reset twice in about six months.

Now he is “The Guy” on the Buffalo Bills defense. That is a bit different than his role with the LA Rams, where he was part of a strong defensive unit.

"“So hard to let go of (LA Rams head) Coach McVay, (LA Rams GM) Les Snead and especially (LA Rams defensive lineman) Aaron Donald, man. Every time I think about it, man, I get sad thinking about not playing with them anymore.” – Von Miller as interviewed by Pro Football Talk’s Peter King"

The Buffalo Bills had to know that 33+-year-olds are at risk of diminishing returns as a primary pass rusher in the NFL. That was never the case for Miller. The Rams had Leonard Floyd, Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, and even A’Shawn Robinson hunting quarterbacks. With the Bills, Miller is expected to lead them to the opposing pass thrower.

It’s clear that the Bills coaching staff sees Von Miller in a rotational role. That projects to about being on the football field for about half of the defensive snaps. That is likely the plan to keep Miller healthy and fresh. But will it keep him involved and engaged? There’s the rub.

The LA Rams had a starter role for Miller because he was part of a cohesive defensive unit that would give him rest days during practice, would pull him out if the score was out of hand, and even had a solid stable of younger players eager to absorb defensive snaps to keep him rested during the game if needed.

He is just starting training camp, and the reality of playing for the Buffalo Bills for the next six seasons may not be nearly as much fun as playing for the LA Rams for the second half of the 2021 NFL season.

There is a saying about wishing for something. It goes like this: “Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.”  Von Miller got what he wished for. Now? He has six more seasons of Buffalo winters to learn to love it there. Or, to regret the decision to bolt away from the LA Rams at the first chance he could get.