Von Miller Reportedly Franchise-Tagged by Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have placed the exclusive franchise tag on linebacker Von Miller as the two sides continue to try to work on a long-term deal.

Albert Breer of NFL.com first reported the move, while Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports confirmed the report.

On Monday, Miller appeared on NFL Network and spoke about how he would feel about getting franchised-tagged by the Broncos (via Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post):

"

I have never been franchised before so I can't really say, 'Hey I don't want to be franchised. I don't want to do this.' I can tell you what: I want to be with the Denver Broncos. I want to be with Derek Wolfe, Chris Harris, all those guys, DT (Demaryius Thomas). I want to be with those guys my whole career, and whatever it takes to get it done I am down for.

"

On Feb. 25, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Broncos are looking to get a long-term deal done with Miller, citing sources.

"They've had talks, and there's optimism it gets done," Rapoport noted, adding that the deal would pay Miller "along the highest-paid defensive players in football."

The 26-year-old linebacker is a major reason the Broncos were able to beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 and is a vital cog of Denver's stout defense.

Miller is in the final year of his contract and counted more than $9.7 million against the cap for the 2015 season, according to Spotrac.

Miller figures to seek a substantial boost in pay. Justin Houston of the Kansas City Chiefs leads all outside linebackers with a $19.1 million cap hit next season, while Denver's DeMarcus Ware ranks second at nearly $11.7 million, per Spotrac.

Miller will likely command a monster contract with no shortage of guaranteed money in order to sign for the long haul. He's an essential asset for the league's top-ranked defense after racking up 60 sacks in 72 games across his first five seasons.