ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- If there's been a theme in the sometimes emotional back-and-forth of contract negotiations for the Denver Broncos in the tenure of executive vice president John Elway and director of football administration Mike Sullivan, it's the number is the number.

Decisions are made about how much the Broncos will pay for a player. And while the Broncos will negotiate, tweak or change an offer during talks, the ceiling is not glass. It is sturdy and unforgiving.

And the ceiling on the Broncos’ offer to linebacker Von Miller was the largest contract in franchise history -- just north of $114 million overall, with $58 million guaranteed over the life of the deal. The offer includes $39.8 million guaranteed in the first two years. The guaranteed portion of the offer is really $38.5 million, but there is an additional $1.3 million in workout bonuses those first two years.

Miller and his representatives have said no to that deal, which would make Miller the highest-paid defensive player in football and would likely be the biggest contract ever for a player who is not a quarterback. And they’ve said no, because of the guaranteed money -- about $35 million in the first two years with the rest to come later.

Miller and his representatives have asked for something closer to $69 million guaranteed, perhaps even $70 million guaranteed, doled out far more quickly. So the parties have returned, at least for the time being, to their respective corners to consider the next move.

So, gentlemen, start your posturing.

Miller, who has been designated as the team’s franchise player, has not attended the Broncos’ offseason program but did join the team for its visit to the White House on Monday. After the ceremony, Miller expressed more optimism a deal would get done than he had at any point in the offseason.

“We’ve made real progress over the last couple of days and I’m very optimistic about the whole thing so, yeah, I remain optimistic about everything,’’ Miller said Monday.

Miller also said after the ceremony how the trip was the first time he felt “normal’’ this offseason.

“I just felt complete, felt back at home, felt normal for the first time in the last couple of months," he said. "This is where I’m myself, when I’m with my teammates, with my boys. It’s a special day for me and I look forward to having more special days.’’

History played a part in this. The Broncos have wanted Miller to at least work in some of the offseason program, but that would require a deal to get done.

The last two position players who were designated as the Broncos’ franchise players -- tackle Ryan Clady and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas -- were not signed until just before the deadline for franchise players, which was about two weeks before training camp opened.

Both of those players skipped the Broncos’ offseason program, both signed big-dollar extensions and saw the season that followed not go the way they had hoped.

Clady suffered a Week 2 foot injury and missed the remainder of the 2013 season while Thomas, despite 105 catches, never quite looked comfortable in the Broncos’ offense last season as he finished with a career-most 17 dropped passes on the season.

The Broncos, including Elway and coach Gary Kubiak, consistently have put forth the hope they could get Miller into at least some of the offseason program to gauge his fitness and have the ability to address any issues now rather than in training camp. When Thomas arrived to training camp last season, he initially was held out of some drills to give him a chance to gradually ramp up his workload. All while the team was putting in a new offense.

The question now revolves around whether each side is more interested in winning a deal instead of making one. If the Broncos move some additional guaranteed money into the first two years of their offer and Miller's representatives don't ask to make the total go any higher than the current highest-paid defensive player in history, there is a deal to be made -- before the deadline.

If they all dig in, go macho and forget what they've all said is important to them, then Miller likely will be playing under the tag in the 2016 season, and all parties will prepare to do this dance again a year from now with a lot more angst along for the ride.