Dear Von - stop talking, start negotiating ... and get back to playing

Dear Von -

We need to have a little chat - before this contract issue gets any more ridiculous. The Twittersphere is the last place you want to have this fight. Trust me.

And no matter what you (or your agent) thinks about goading John Elway into the deal you want via the media - social and otherwise - it's not helping you in the long run, deal or not.

Initially, I was on "your side" - if there have to be sides. I completely understand your point of view as an elite player wanting guaranteed money in a contract. No one denies you are the best of the best at your position, and we all know Super Bowl 50 would not have belonged to the Broncos without No. 58. You deserve the big payday.

I tried to tell people to calm down over the Instagram fiasco, reminding fans that it was not Armageddon just because Elway wasn't in your photo. "This is how it goes - Broncos start low, player counters, haggling starts, a deal is made" yada, yada, yada.

I even joked that if the Broncos are going to "play chicken" with you, they should know how that will go. I mean, you were a poultry science major after all.

But this has now gone beyond harmless and immature social media barbs. You are whining.

Telling SI.com "It just hurts. I'm not even going to lie. It's a business but at the end of the day, I got feelings, too" and complaining over fans calling you greedy is your own doing. You took this to social media instead of keeping it in Dove Valley.

The Broncos don't owe you a better contract, and fans don't owe you leniency in their criticism of your negotiation tactics.

You do deserve a damn good offer, but if anyone owes anything, Elway owes fans a championship-caliber team every season.

That's his goal and that's where he's coming from. That should neither surprise you, hurt your feelings, nor send you packing.

What it should do is motivate you to show you're a mature player willing to put the team first but hold strong to what is important to you in the contract - and quit cropping photos and using stupid girlfriend analogies to voice your displeasure.

A six-year contract worth nearly $115 million that includes $38 million in fully guaranteed money sounds great to us. And even though as fans we don't live in the NFL world, we can appreciate what NFL agent David Mulugheta pointed out recently - contracts are far more convoluted and don't really mean players just walk away with all those millions of dollars.

But you do live in the NFL world, so instead of sharing your opinion with Chelsea (c'mon Von), sit down with your agent and talk through a deal that will work for you.

You know Elway has constraints. Remember those 52 other players you like to call "my guys?" Yeah, he has to pay them too.

But you also know the GM has room to go up - and he will ... unless you burn the bridge by continuing this as a public fight.

Sure the Broncos can force you to play under the franchise tag, and sure you can sit out to make a point. But what point will you be making - that you are above the team? That being the highest paid with the most guaranteed is more important than staying in Denver?

We know that's not you. But that's how it will seem. And even if you get the contract you want, your stock among fans and teammates may drop.

No player gets the deal he loves on the first offer; that's negotiating. Stop acting like Elway's offer was a slap in the face. Instead, counter with what you want. If you need some ideas, we've got you covered.

You are Elway's first No. 1 draft pick, the Super Bowl 50 MVP and the anchor of our elite defense.

No. 7 knows it takes a monster defense to win it all, and he knows you are the key piece to that.

You said you wanted to be a Bronco for life. You said you wanted the negotiation process to be peaceful.

But now you're making the process a war. Now you're saying you may sit out.

Stop the madness.

We want you. Elway wants you. You want us.

Perhaps another girlfriend analogy will make it easy:

Stop being the passive-aggressive girl that says "I'm fine" while stomping around and throwing things ... because you know how that one ends, right?

Passive-aggressive girl stays mad, guy gets annoyed and leaves, girl doesn't get what she wants nor does she get the guy.

But the girl who says, "I want this to work, and this is what I need from you" ...

Well, she gets the guy, practically everything she wants, and they live happily ever after.