Eric Berry ‘a bit surprised’ on lack of extension progress

[Quesadilla Joe]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl...e88612427.html

Spoiler!

Against the backdrop of approximately 352 kids laughing, jumping and playing on a humid summer night, Chiefs safety Eric Berry wore a smile on his face as he stood on the turf at North Kansas City High School and explained what he knew about his current contract status.

And Berry — who has until July 15 to get an extension done with the Chiefs, lest he play the 2016 under the one-year franchise tag — took a break from his sixth annual free youth football camp on Friday and made a few things clear.

One, he absolutely still wants to be a Chief for the long term.

And, two, yes, he is a bit surprised it’s taken so long for a new deal to get done.

“I thought it would progress a little bit more,” Berry said. “But it’s still been pretty much the same since the last time we talked. A lot can change in a week. A lot can change for whenever the deadline is.”

Berry’s surprise makes sense. Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said at the NFL’s annual meeting in March that he’s hopeful to get a long-term deal done with Berry, and that he’s “certainly” somebody that they “would like to be a Chief for a very, very long time.”

Hunt added that he got a sense that Berry shared the sentiment to stay, a notion the 27-year old Berry — who has spent the last seven years with the Chiefs — also said in March and repeated Friday.

“Obviously I’d love to be a Chief — I want to be a Chief long term, just because of the community, the staff, from top to bottom, the players and everything,” Berry said. “But sometimes things don’t go as planned, and I’m prepared for that, but hopefully it goes as planned, and I’m prepared for that, as well.”

If the Chiefs can’t reach a new deal with Berry before the July 15 deadline, Berry would have to play the 2016 season under the $10.8 million franchise tender. However, he could also hold off on signing the tender, which would allow him to skip training camp and the preseason and return shortly before the regular season and still collect his full $10.8 million salary.

Still, an extension is sensible for both sides. Although the franchise tender is good money (and guaranteed, too) Berry stands to collect far more guaranteed money with a new deal, as he has the same number of all-pro selections (two) and three more Pro Bowl selections (four) than the league’s highest-paid safety, Harrison Smith, who recently signed a five-year, $51.25 million pact with the Vikings that includes nearly $29 million guaranteed.

What’s more, assuming Berry agreed to a richer deal than Smith’s, the cash-strapped Chiefs — who have a league-low $226,818 in cap space. according to the NFL Players Association — would still stand to create a minimum of $3 million or so in cap room this year with an extension. Iit’s worth noting the team already has a significant amount of money committed to 2017 — upwards of $166 million, which already surpasses the 2016 cap number of $155 million.

The Chiefs also have the option of rescinding the tender on Berry, which would create $10.8 million in cap room. However, that would make one of their most popular — and more important — players an unrestricted free agent, which hardly seems like a reasonable option for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

“It’s a completely different atmosphere (without him),” said center Mitch Morse, who helped out at Berry’s camp on Friday. “I’ve only met a few people who, when they walk into a room full of people, that you feel their presence and people immediately shut up. He’s such a profound speaker, and he has profound things to say, and you inherently want to listen and gain knowledge. You respect the hell out of him.”

Berry, who fast-tracked his way back from a December 2014 diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma to return in time for the start of training camp last July, served as the emotional leader of the 2015 Chiefs, which rallied from a 1-5 start to win 11 straight games, including their first playoff win in 22 years.

He did it on the field too, as he looked quicker and faster than in previous seasons — he was back to playing at his college weight of 210 pounds — on the way to racking up 61 tackles, 10 pass deflections and two interceptions and make the Pro Bowl, be named an all-pro and win the NFL’s comeback player of the year award.

“He’s one of the main focal points of this team,” said Morse, whose comments have been parroted by several teammates, including quarterback Alex Smith. “He means a lot to Chiefs Kingdom, and he sure as hell means a lot to us, as players. We’re incomplete without him and we love the energy and passion he brings.”

Still, business is business, and Berry understands that. One of his closest friends on the team is outside linebacker Justin Houston, who was franchise-tagged in March 2015 after a 22-sack season and had to wait out the next several months as his agent, Joel Segal, and the Chiefs hammered out a six-year, $101 million extension right before the July 15 deadline.

“It’s crazy because I was talking to him when he was going through the exact same thing — it’s like roles have switched just a year later,” Berry said. “He just keeps telling me to be patient and control what I can control. So I gave him that advice, and he’s given me the same advice. That’s all I can do.”

So Berry, who has always believed in letting his work speak for himself, has spent the last several months training in Florida, getting ready for the season.

He looked trim and happy as he worked with the kids on Friday — the turnout was the best his camp in Kansas City has ever had, by the way — his trademark brown, red-tinged hair and goatee fluffy and full, a stark contrast to the way he looked last summer, even after his chemo treatments had long come to an end.

To be sure, Berry is grateful for that, a fact that came across as he spoke optimistically about his goals for the next several months, despite the uncertainty of his contract situation.

“I definitely want to get a ring, and I definitely want to be a Chief,” Berry said. “Hopefully, we can make that happen.”

And to be clear, Berry hasn’t lost faith, regardless of his surprise at the lack of recent progress.

“You know miracles happen — I’m a witness,” Berry said with a smile. “So it might go down to the wire, you know ... and hopefully they handle their end, and hopefully it comes together like it’s supposed to.”

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

No, when he trolls report it.

That's a full time job

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

That's a full time job

The issue is that I think he actually believes some of what he's saying. And I'm not sure he totally understands English...

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

The issue is that I think he actually believes some of what he's saying. And I'm not sure he totally understands English...

You can believe something 100% and still troll.

make a deliberately offensive or provocative online post with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them.

All of his posts are 100% in attempt to get people that don't like Alex to argue with him. The ****er is a troll and trolls in every post.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Turnover differe wins games, so yeah they will win more than they lose again. The problem is, your boy leaves too many plays on the field to overcome the elite teams. He's served his purpose....time to move on.

This is also another example of baiting. Something Hoot was just romperized for. Inconsistency at it's finest folks

Juggs machine>>>Smith

Backed-up toilet>>>Tigger

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by Dagnabit

Juggs machine>>>Smith

Backed-up toilet>>>Tigger

His name plate changed to chamberpot cleaner extraordinaire?

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Turnover differe wins games, so yeah they will win more than they lose again. The problem is, your boy leaves too many plays on the field to overcome the elite teams. He's served his purpose....time to move on.

This is also another example of baiting. Something Hoot was just romperized for. Inconsistency at it's finest folks

Uhhh...no. Hootie got sent there for going full Global Thermonuclear War on the mods in the Lounge.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by TigerUppercut

Imagine all the excuses this place will have if Smith and Reid wins next year and people retracting their comments like they didn't mean it. I doubt some people will even be happy for the team if it happened. Sad bastards.

Alex Smith has won a playoff game with us before. What of it?

Let's say KC wins the division again, gets a 1st round bye, and WINS a ****ing playoff game at Arrowhead for ****ing once. Nobody's opinion of him will change. They'll say, "Thanks for doing the same shit you always do, Alex. It finally resulted in something we want. Good job. You and your reeruned monkey at the typewriter finally banged out a copy of King Lear. Nice ****ing job."

Until he CHANGES who he is and what he takes pride in as a QB (a very unlikely case) and WINS with that change in playing philosophy, you will see nobody change their opinion of him on this forum. They will treat him just like the Ravens did with Trent Dilfer after they won a Super Bowl-- they'll want him discarded and replaced with some Elvis Grbac shit head because at least Grbac is a better QB than Dilfer.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

report the posts when he trolls or baits

Sauto out on his agenda to censor. CP's decline continues

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Alex Smith has won a playoff game with us before. What of it?

Let's say KC wins the division again, gets a 1st round bye, and WINS a ****ing playoff game at Arrowhead for ****ing once. Nobody's opinion of him will change. They'll say, "Thanks for doing the same shit you always do, Alex. It finally resulted in something we want. Good job. You and your reeruned monkey at the typewriter finally banged out a copy of King Lear. Nice ****ing job."

Until he CHANGES who he is and what he takes pride in as a QB (a very unlikely case) and WINS with that change in playing philosophy, you will see nobody change their opinion of him on this forum. They will treat him just like the Ravens did with Trent Dilfer after they won a Super Bowl-- they'll want him discarded and replaced with some Elvis Grbac shit head because at least Grbac is a better QB than Dilfer.

Hey Alex, thanks for bringing winning back to KC.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Uhhh...no. Hootie got sent there for going full Global Thermonuclear War on the mods in the Lounge.

Good luck convincing Sauto it wasnt for those reasons. He's on his agenda to censor 'fake news'

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

The issue is that I think he actually believes some of what he's saying. And I'm not sure he totally understands English...

This is your shitty effort to paint me as an idiot when you are quoted in the other thread for telling people not to take antibiotics when they're indicated. Yea you sound super intellectual, guy.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by TigerUppercut

Sauto out on his agenda to censor. CP's decline continues

Then why are you here? If CP is so bad for you, then leave

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by TigerUppercut

paint me as an idiot

You do most of the legwork on that yourself.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by TigerUppercut

This is your shitty effort to paint me as an idiot when you are quoted in the other thread for telling people not to take antibiotics when they're indicated. Yea you sound super intellectual, guy.

....says the guy that thinks jersey sales are an indicator of how much a player should be paid.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Originally Posted by Bowser

....says the guy that thinks jersey sales are an indicator of how much a player should be paid.

Another admin who wants to bend words when clearly the point being made was that jersey sales are an indication of player popularity.

Eric Berry is not as popular as people want to believe he is outside of KC. Very, very simple concept.