ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Von Miller has done plenty of things in recent months that have gotten him noticed.
He's danced, joked, laughed, talked, posted all across social media platforms, danced -- again -- and been the everywhere man of the Denver Broncos since being named the MVP of Super Bowl 50. But since Miller signed his historic $114.5 million contract -- largest for a non-quarterback in league history -- he's caught the eye of someone who is a little more concerned with how Miller deals with his teammates.
That person, DeMarcus Ware -- after seeing what he's seen from Miller so far in training camp and the preseason -- said he believes that Miller is poised for even bigger things in the Broncos' defense and as a team leader.
"I've been watching Von this whole offseason and he's a different guy," Ware said after Tuesday's practice. "Yeah, he did all of the 'Dancing With the Stars' and all of the other stuff and traveled around the world, but when he came back, he was a lot more focused. He got a lot of that out of his system and now you can tell by the tenacity and how he brings it to the field and practice."
Miller had consistently promised throughout his busy offseason -- a chain of events and appearances Peyton Manning had jokingly called "the celebrity world tour" -- that he would return to the team ready "to go do the things I know I can do." And Miller has done that, consistently dominating in drills and practices. He got his first preseason game action this past Saturday against the 49ers, playing 10 snaps in a brief cameo with some of the other defensive starters.
But Ware, who has been one of the Broncos' captains in each of the last two seasons, has noticed a little more from Miller. Ware's noticed that Miller is starting to evolve as a marquee leader.
"The leadership also -- he's being a bigger leader and vocal guy," Ware said. "Usually he doesn't talk that much on the field, but he's actually been a lot more vocal out there and now we're tag-teaming ... It just feels great to have a guy like that."
With two of the Broncos' three season-long captains from 2015 -- Manning and safety David Bruton Jr. -- no longer with the team, there has been some question about who the Broncos' leaders will be this time around. Ware has said he believes it’s time for Miller "to be in a position where he leads this team to a championship, not only on the field as he did this past season, but in the locker room too."
For his part Ware said Tuesday that the whole team was adjusting to life without Manning. He also mentioned that he and Miller could be part of the solution.
"It's different in there," Ware said. "With Peyton, he's a legend. He was a big leader, the sheriff of the team and that's how he played and that's how he portrayed everybody on the team. Now everybody is picking up the pieces where it was left off ... It's not just a one-man show. It's everybody putting in to make a little bit for the team."
