BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to trade Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins, Denver star linebacker Von Miller is lobbying for the Broncos to reel in quarterback Kirk Cousins.
In an appearance on ''The Dan Patrick Show'' on Wednesday, Miller said he'd love for Cousins to rescue the Broncos, who have missed the playoffs the last two years despite a dominant defense. The 29-year-old Cousins is likely headed for free agency after spending his first six seasons with Washington.
''I've talked to him before. He knows exactly how I feel ... and what he would mean to our team,'' Miller said, adding ''We need Kirk. I would love to have Kirk. We have great quarterbacks now. Kirk could take us over the edge.''
The Broncos don't have great quarterbacks now. They churned through Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch during a 5-11 season under first-year coach Vance Joseph. After the season, general manager John Elway said quarterback was ''obviously a position that we feel like we have to get better at going into the next season.''
At the Senior Bowl, where Denver's coaching staff got hands-on work with the likes of draft prospects Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen, Elway said the Broncos will first focus on experienced options to upgrade the position, a path that worked before with Peyton Manning in 2012.
''That's the first step. There is no question. I think seeing where all of that falls, first thing first. Even though we go to the combine (first), once we get back to the office after the Super Bowl is over, we'll dig into the free agency side of it,'' Elway said. ''That will be the focus until we get to the combine.''
The Broncos own the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft in April.
Miller, who was the MVP of Super Bowl 50 two years ago, is just the latest Broncos player to pine for Cousins, joining the likes of running back C.J. Anderson and linebacker Brandon Marshall.
Miller said on the NFL Network, ''If all else fails, I'll play quarterback. No, but on a serious note, I've got all the faith in John Elway and the front office. They've made championship decisions'' before.
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