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.”

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

That weird...... What happened in 2010 & 2011?

He was hurt his rookie year and the next year he didn't really break out until Tebow took over.



DT had 4 catches for 200 yards in that playoff game

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

He was hurt his rookie year and the next year he didn't really break out until Tebow took over.



DT had 4 catches for 200 yards in that playoff game

But he's more durable? and really the Steelers secondary?

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

But he's more durable? and really the Steelers secondary?

The Steelers had the #1 pass defense in the NFL that year...

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

The Steelers had the #1 pass defense in the NFL that year...

No that would be the chargers, they were ranked 12th on pass defense.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

No that would be the chargers, they were ranked 12th on pass defense.

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Ahhh your correct I was thinking 2010 for some reason

[Quesadilla Joe]

The #KCChiefs & Eric Berry are still working, trying to hash out a long-term extension. Not there yet, but will be working to the deadline.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2016

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

The #KCChiefs & Eric Berry are still working, trying to hash out a long-term extension. Not there yet, but will be working to the deadline.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2016

Good, I'm fine with 6 yr's 55 million 28 GTD

[Red Dawg]

Come on Berry. Give us some love like we gave you.

Just for the record. Thomas has turned out to be a turd. Drops all over the place like Bowe and is getting slower by the minute.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Mother****erJones

Wut in the actual **** makes you honestly believe that clay?

History.

First, very few players ever 'improve' on their breakout season and what are the odds that Houston ever gets better than 22 sacks.

But the biggest concern is the history of injuries and the toll they take. Fluke or no, anytime you go under the knife, your body is fundamentally altered and isn't ever exactly what it was. Now even if you function similarly, the odds of you functioning for as long are diminished. He's now had a couple of knee injuries and sooner or later, those will come back to get him.

He's not old, but he's 27 now and things will start to be just a little harder from this point forward. His body will recover just a little slower. His burst will start to wane just a little bit. It'll be a little harder to keep weight on during the season or maintain his form during the off-season. He's unlikely to hit a wall, but he's probably 2 years away from starting a noticeable decline and if one of those years is impacted by his continued attempts to come back from his knee, then the window to get value from that contract continues to diminish.

And people keep wanting to argue that it's not fair to say he hasn't lived up to his contract - of course it is. This is a snapshot view and to this point he hasn't. Worse still, it was the cheapest year of his deal that he didn't live up to. As his cap figure gets higher and higher, his performance will have to get better and better to compensate for it.

Houston earned his deal. The Chiefs weren't foolish in offering it to him by any means. But there's still a good chance that he simply doesn't live up to it. That's reality.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Chief Northman

And you are clueless as usual.

Although the Bowe deal appeared exorbitant, it was more driven by lack of depth at the position, a weak FA receiver class and a weaker draft class at receiver. The fact Dorsey structured to get out of the Bowe commitment showed he knew what he was dealing with and assessed his new team roster admirably. Branden Albert was proved unreliable, and in a terrible year to be picking 1 overall, the Fisher pick is not looking as bad as the chicken littles made it out to be.

I like our GM fine. You'll see how good Elway/Kubiak are without the Manning farewell nod this year. Better hope Wade Phillips has all his defensive toys to play with, because that offense will be ASS.

Um....may want to check the record there.

Dorsey got lucky - the end. Bowe's 2016 salary was guaranteed unless he got suspended. Then he got suspended. Had Bowe simply continued to be a bad football player, we'd have been stuck with him on the cap last year and wouldn't have had J-Mac.

You're right that Dorsey had very little choice but to keep Bowe around given the dearth of talent he inherited from that fat ****ing fraud before him, but he absolutely lucked out when Bowe smoked his way into a suspension.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

History.

First, very few players ever 'improve' on their breakout season and what are the odds that Houston ever gets better than 22 sacks.

But the biggest concern is the history of injuries and the toll they take. Fluke or no, anytime you go under the knife, your body is fundamentally altered and isn't ever exactly what it was. Now even if you function similarly, the odds of you functioning for as long are diminished. He's now had a couple of knee injuries and sooner or later, those will come back to get him.

He's not old, but he's 27 now and things will start to be just a little harder from this point forward. His body will recover just a little slower. His burst will start to wane just a little bit. It'll be a little harder to keep weight on during the season or maintain his form during the off-season. He's unlikely to hit a wall, but he's probably 2 years away from starting a noticeable decline and if one of those years is impacted by his continued attempts to come back from his knee, then the window to get value from that contract continues to diminish.

And people keep wanting to argue that it's not fair to say he hasn't lived up to his contract - of course it is. This is a snapshot view and to this point he hasn't. Worse still, it was the cheapest year of his deal that he didn't live up to. As his cap figure gets higher and higher, his performance will have to get better and better to compensate for it.

Houston earned his deal. The Chiefs weren't foolish in offering it to him by any means. But there's still a good chance that he simply doesn't live up to it. That's reality.

10 years ago, you're right.

I'm not sure in the modern medicine world. There's a breaking point age, just as there's always been, but I think it's more 32 33 than 30 anymore.

Especially with how these guys are (specifically houston) in the offseason.

[CrossCheck]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

The Steelers had the #1 pass defense in the NFL that year...

And had to leave a very good starter at home because of the altitude.

[staylor26]

The Steelers might've been the #1 pass defense in the RS, but their aging defense was done by the playoffs. That was the beginning of the end of that defense.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by O.city

10 years ago, you're right.

I'm not sure in the modern medicine world. There's a breaking point age, just as there's always been, but I think it's more 32 33 than 30 anymore.

Especially with how these guys are (specifically houston) in the offseason.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...FWP/story.html

This is a new ACL surgery of recent that uses a sponge and can help recover much faster and prevent arthritis in the decades that follow said surgery.

This injury will soon be a 6 month recovery instead of 9-12.