ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Broncos linebacker Von Miller received a six-game suspension under the NFLs substance-abuse policy Tuesday, taking away the best defensive player from a team many expect to make a run at the Super Bowl. The league wanted a longer penalty for the third-year linebacker, but the sides agreed to less than half the season, a person familiar with the negotiations between the linebacker and the NFL told The Associated Press. The person who spoke to the AP did not want to be identified because details about the negotiations were not public. Broncos executive vice-president John Elway said the team was frustrated with what happened "and, I think, disappointed in Von." "Well live with that decision," Elway said. "What Id like to do is try to do everything we can to prevent any other situations." According to the NFL, Miller is eligible to play and practice through the last two preseason games. His suspension, without pay, will begin Aug. 31, and will cost him more than $800,000 of the nearly $2.3 million hes scheduled to make this season. Hell be allowed at the team facility, but not at practice during the suspension. He can return to the field Oct. 14, the day after Denvers home game against Jacksonville, and will be eligible for an Oct. 20 contest at the Indianapolis Colts. After being notified of the decision, Miller released a statement saying, "although my suspension doesnt result from a positive test, there is no excuse for my violations of the rules." "I made mistakes and my suspension has hurt my team, Broncos fans, and myself," he said. "I am especially sorry for the effect of my bad decisions on others. I will not make the same mistakes about adhering to the policy in the future. " The NFL has two drug policies -- one that covers use of performance-enhancing substances and the "Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse" that applied to Millers case. There are ways to violate the drug policy without necessarily testing positive. They include missing a test, refusing to test, tampering with tests or giving a diluted urine sample. The Broncos had been operating throughout the preseason as if Miller would be with them for their regular-season opener Sept. 5. "I dont know if that was confidence as much as it was wishful thinking," coach John Fox said. "I think we all tend to look at the glass half full instead of half empty. But now the reality is there and Im kind of glad weve gotten to where it is finalized." It gives Fox a chance to finalize "Plan B" for a team listed at most Vegas sports books as the favourite to win the Super Bowl. Miller is the best player on the Broncos defence -- the second pick of the 2011 draft, the NFLs 2011 Defensive Rookie of the Year and runner-up last season for the leagues Defensive Player of the Year. He had 18 1/2 sacks last season and 30 over his two years. Likely to take his spot at the rush linebacker position is Shaun Phillips, a 10-year veteran the Broncos signed in free agency during the off-season. Others in the mix in a juggled linebacker corps include Nate Irving, Wesley Woodyard and Danny Trevathan. Another linebacker, Stewart Bradley, had emerged as a front-runner over Irving at middle linebacker during training camp, but he hurt his left wrist in a preseason game Saturday night and underwent surgery. On Tuesday, the Broncos signed 12th-year veteran Paris Lenon, who played ahead of Bradley in Arizona last year. "Were going to have to have guys play better," Fox said. "Everybody is going to have to step up. I know its Next man up, but hes a hard man to replace." Miller, meanwhile, has a number of issues pending before his return. Among them, staying in playing shape while not being allowed to practice with the team. He also must clear up his recent arrest for failing to appear in court for traffic violations. News of the arrest came as Miller was deep in negotiations with the league and the union over his case, about which he repeatedly insisted he had "done nothing wrong." Then, theres the issue of keeping the trust of his teammates, who have steadfastly backed him during a summer filled with turmoil. "Has not changed," Peyton Manning said Tuesday, before word of the six-game suspension became official. "Theres been a lot of noise and speculation. But Von is one of our teammates. Hes part of the family, and I certainly have his back as his teammate and I know that all the players do and the organization does." The organization has been hit by a number of distracting stories since last season ended with a loss to Baltimore in the divisional playoffs. The Broncos lost their second-leading sack man, Elvis Dumervil, because of a foul-up with a fax machine while his contract was being finalized. Two front-office executives got arrested on drunken-driving charges and were suspended. Millers status has been the news since training camp started, though it has shared headlines with a steady beat of injuries coming out of training camp. All of which threatens the focus of a team that brought Manning in to win the Super Bowl now. "I think sometimes you can use distractions to your benefit, in the fact that distractions are also when you are getting patted on the back all the time, which we have been quite a bit," Elway said. "Von was a big part of our defence and were going to have to play and pick up that slack." Miller will be sidelined for the season opener against Baltimore, then at the New York Giants, home against Philadelphia and Oakland, at Dallas and home against Jacksonville. His return coincides with Mannings first game in Indianapolis since he last put on a Colts uniform. "The guys around him have to play better," Fox said. "The guys on the other side of the ball have to play better. That will be the challenge to our team." Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Follow all the action live on TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, TSN Radio 690 in Montreal, TSN Radio 1260 in Edmonton and TEAM 1410 on Friday at 3pm et/Noon pt. China NFL Jerseys . According to the Globe and Mail, a decision between the NHL and the Players Association should come within the six months. "I can tell you, (a decision) shouldnt take all that long," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Globe and Mail. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale...eap-jerseys.com) - Coming off a pair of tough losses last week, the Syracuse Orange will try to put an end to their first losing skid of the season when they pay a visit to the Maryland Terrapins at the Comcast Center on Monday night in Atlantic Coast Conference action. Cheap College Jerseys .com) - The disappointing Ottawa Senators hope to record consecutive wins for the first time since early November, as they visit the Boston Bruins on Friday for the opener of a home-and-home series. Authentic NFL Jerseys .Just like old times.Only this time, just one got to enjoy a victory.James return to Miami as an opponent was a success — for the Heat, that is. Wade scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half, Luol Deng had 25 points and dogged James defensively all night, and the Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91 in a hyped Christmas matchup Thursday.BOSTON -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien decided it was time to load up with offence. It worked. David Krejci scored 1:28 into overtime to lift the surging Bruins to a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Coming off a tough shootout loss to St. Louis on Thursday, Julien chose to play his top line together. Skating with his usual linemates and only one defenceman, Krejci scored into an empty net after Jarome Iginla broke in alone, forcing goaltender Cam Ward to come way out to try and cut down an angle. Iginla then dropped a pass to Krejci, who fired a wrister over a sprawling Ward for the winner. "We havent had much luck lately in shootouts," Julien said. "I just thought it was important to get a line out there and give us a better chance. It paid off." Reilly Smith and Zdeno Chara also scored for Eastern Conference-leading Boston, which beat the Hurricanes for the second time this week and improved to 7-1-2 in its last 10 games. Iginla knew Krejci had an opening and kept waiting for him to shoot. "I was thinking, Put it in. Put it in," he said. "He showed great patience." Krejci credited Iginla for setting him up so well. "I kind of had an easy job to do," he said. "I just had to put it into a top open net." Bruins backup goaltender Chad Johnson, playing just his fourth game of the season, made 22 saves in place of resting Tuukka Rask. Patrick Dwyer scored a short-handed goal and Andrej Sekera had one on the power play for the Hurricanes, who lost their fourth straight. Ward stopped 35 shots. The Bruins had a 38-24 shot advantage. They won 4-1 in Carolina on Monday night. The Hurricanes felt like they were a bit lucky to get the game to OT after being outplayed for two periods. "We were happy with the way we played in the third, but its a 60 minute game," Dwyer said. "When you get behind on a team like that, its a tough team to get your way back into the game against. We thought we were there and they won it in overtime." Ward didnt feel like Carolina played well enough to earn a victory. "Youve got to be at your best when youre playing a team like thatt.dddddddddddd" he said. With the Hurricanes trailing 2-1 and skating short-handed after a bench minor for too many men on the ice, Dwyer collected a loose puck near centre ice, broke in alone and slipped a backhander by Johnsons blocker, tying it with 8:50 to play. Boston, which dominated play for lengthy stretches in the second period, moved ahead 2-1 on Smiths goal at 13:31. Smith collected the rebound in front after Carolina defenceman Tim Gleason blocked Carl Soderbergs shot, he shifted to his backhand and slipped a shot into the net past Wards glove. The Hurricanes were held without a shot on goal for nearly the opening 12 minutes of the second. Eric Staal finally ended the drought when he fired a shot from the left circle that Johnson stopped with a right-pad save. The Bruins outshot Carolina 12-4 in the second and owned a 26-10 edge through two periods. Charas power-play goal had tied the game 1-1 late in the opening period. With the Hurricanes Manny Malhotra in the box with a double minor for high sticking, Chara collected the rebound of Milan Lucics shot in front and slipped a shot into a wide-open right side of the net. Carolina grabbed a 1-0 lead on Sekeras power-play goal just under 6 minutes into the game. Only a few minutes after Sekera had to be helped off favouring his right leg after blocking a shot, the defenceman sent a shot from the middle of the blue line. Johnson was screened and the puck slipped past him inside the left post. "I just didnt see it," Johnson said. "I just didnt move my head quick enough." NOTES: Carolina winger Jeff Skinner played his second straight game after missing his previous 11 with an upper body injury. It was the 200th game of his career. ... Hurricanes D Jay Harrison missed his third straight with an illness. .. It was the second of three meetings between the teams. ... The Bruins host Pittsburgh in its next game on Monday, the Penguins first visit to Boston since being swept in last springs Eastern Conference finals. ... Carolina is at home against Ottawa Sunday. ... Rask, who entered the day leading the NHL in save percentage (.945), had played the previous four games. ' ' '