The Eagles gave a defensive lineman a $103 million contract — and it is going to make Von Miller a ton of money

Like Cox, Miller is a pass rusher – only better and more valuable to his team. And because NFL contracts are informed by those of comparable players, Cox’s deal gives Miller additional leverage over John Elway and the Denver front office.

If Cox is on the team in March of 2017, he’ll earn a whopping $55.549 million in guaranteed money. Miller, his agent will argue, deserves more.

The only argument Elway could possibly make in return, it seems, is that the Eagles are spending an irrational amount of money this offseason, making Cox’s contract an anomaly in the market.

That’s a hard argument to make, though. Cox is an elite defender: Pro Football Focus gave him a 90.3 overall grade last season, good for 10th in the league among interior defenders. Miller, meanwhile, earned a 94.0 from PFF – second among edge defenders behind only Kahlil Mack.

Miller and the Broncos are reportedly still gridlocked, and Miller could potentially sit out all of the 2016 in order to shed the exclusive franchise tag the Broncos might give him if no extension works out. Cox’s deal seems likely to ensure this doesn’t happen, and that Miller gets the money he deserves.