Lindsay H. Jones

USA TODAY Sports

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Von Miller's neck is back, and so is his grin.

Nearly five months since surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Miller is eager to put a dreadful 2013 behind him. Last year started with a January loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs, included Miller's six-game suspension for breaking the NFL's drug policy (during which he gained more than 15 pounds, nearly all of it in his upper body), and ended with the torn ACL in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

Miller rarely looked — or acted — like himself during the last year, when the suspension, body changes and injury limited him to just five sacks in nine games. So perhaps that's why it should be encouraging to see a slimmed-down Miller acting like his old self again while he displays a renewed commitment to football as he works his way back from his first serious injury.

"I've been through a whole bunch. And to still be here and still have everything that was set out before still be able to get it now, it's a true blessing," Miller said Wednesday. "I come to work every day, and it's just different now. I love coming to work, not that I didn't love coming to work before. But you know, I just have a huge opportunity to come here and play with the Broncos."

Miller had surgery in early January and missed out on Denver's AFC championship run and appearance in the Super Bowl. He has yet to be cleared to participate in anything more than individual drills during organized team activities but he believes his rehab is on schedule as he goes through the checklist of activities trainers and strength coaches ask him to perform each week.

Right now, that means working with cornerback Chris Harris — he tore his ACL in January and had surgery in February — to get ready for training camp. Harris and Miller were just two of the five defensive starters who missed the Super Bowl because of injuries. Safety Rahim Moore (lower leg) and defensive end Derek Wolfe (nervous system issue) have already returned to practice, while defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson (dislocated hip) is still being eased back.

"We haven't really even seen the full defense. Once me and Von come back, that's two impact players right there that you add on to the field. It's going to be pretty scary once we get back to 100 (%)," Harris said.

Miller, the No. 2 pick of the 2011 draft, is probably the key piece, assuming he's able to return to the level he played in 2011 and 2012, when he had 30 total sacks. He was a lanky, carefree goofball, who benefited from a veteran pass rushing partner in Elvis Dumervil during those first two seasons.

Miller admitted Wednesday that his weight gain last year — he dubbed it "an experiment" — didn't work out. Miller didn't answer when asked how much he weighs now, but it he looks much more like Miller circa 2012, when he played at 255 pounds, than Miller of 2013, when he bulked up to more than 270.

And now Miller once again has an elite pass rusher to line up on the other side. It happens to be his idol, DeMarcus Ware, who starred for the Dallas Cowboys for nine years before signing with the Broncos in March. Miller was a Cowboys fan as a teenager while living in a suburb of Dallas.

"He's just one of those special guys," said Miller. "It's like DeMarcus already knows what I'm asking before I even ask it. I walk up to him and he's like a psychic. He already knows what I'm going to ask him when we start talking.

"He just explains it so well. He's a great teacher, and it's different from any other relationship that I've had with anyone else. I've looked up to DeMarcus. I'm not afraid to say it: I want to be like DeMarcus Ware."

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Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones