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.”

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I've got no problem letting him play under the tag this year. And I haven't heard shit about him holding out.....so I don't see it being a problem.

It's alot of money that we could use for future years

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by O.city

It's alot of money that we could use for future years

So you've got two options then....

1. Let him play under the tag.
or
2. Rescind the tag/trade him.

Which do you prefer?

[O.city]

Call up the rams, straight accross deal for Trumaine Johnson and get a deal done with him?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

So you've got two options then....

1. Let him play under the tag.
or
2. Rescind the tag/trade him.

Which do you prefer?

I'm saying that on the thought that getting a deal done would free up 4 mil or so to roll to next year.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by O.city

We value poe alot here, but statistically, he's not been as dominant as you'd think. I wonder what he'll be looking for.

He's got alot of miles on him, added with the back issue, I'm leary of giving dl like that big deals

Unless Poe has an absolutely breakout year (8+ sacks), he'll get a nice $8-9.5 million dollar contract but there's no way he's getting anywhere the top of the market.

Does anyone really believe that Poe is worth twice as much as Jaye Howard?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

What did you expect him to do?

"Oh hey guys....I know you paid me my contract while I had cancer......so go ahead and put together a new contract that pays me $8 million a year and I'll sign it today."

I certainly didn't but many people in this forum felt he'd do so.

It's a business, which is why I almost never become enamored with or attached to an individual player.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by O.city

Call up the rams, straight accross deal for Trumaine Johnson and get a deal done with him?

He plays a position in which $11.8 million is justifiable.

Whether he's worth that much is another discussion altogether but it certainly makes much more sense.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

He plays a position in which $11.8 million is justifiable.

Whether he's worth that much is another discussion altogether but it certainly makes much more sense.

Trumaine Johnson is not going to sign a contract for $11.8 million a year. I bet that he wants what Janoris Jenkins got.

[BossChief]

IMO the best strategy is to retain your own players when you have the kind of coaching staff we have in KC...that is even more important with the way the salary cap is going up every year.

That said, you can't go out and give Eric Berry 20% more than the highest paid safety in the NFL "just because".

I'm 100% on board giving him the same deal as Harrison Smith...but if the report I linked is true, Eric Berry can kick rocks.

KC gave him 7m they didn't need to in 2014...that should make him negotiate a fair deal.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Unless Poe has an absolutely breakout year (8+ sacks), he'll get a nice $8-9.5 million dollar contract but there's no way he's getting anywhere the top of the market.

Does anyone really believe that Poe is worth twice as much as Jaye Howard?

You're underestimating the market.

Poe will easily get north of 10m and probably closer to 13

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by BossChief

You're underestimating the market.

Poe will easily get north of 10m and probably closer to 13

Then Poe can probably leave as well.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Then Poe can probably leave as well.

Yep. If we aren't paying Berry $12 million a year.....then we damn sure aren't paying Poe $13 million a year.

You could probably offer Howard a contract of $9-10 million a year and move him to NT.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by BossChief

You're underestimating the market.

Poe will easily get north of 10m and probably closer to 13

I'm not seeing that kind of respect for him across the league.

He'll need a monster year to get north of $10 million per, IMO.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Yep. If we aren't paying Berry $12 million a year.....then we damn sure aren't paying Poe $13 million a year.

You could probably offer Howard a contract of $9-10 million a year and move him to NT.

Howard's already on a two year, $12 million dollar deal and he'll be 29 when it expires.

If Poe can get an average of $13 million per, he can walk, too.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Then Poe can probably leave as well.

Yeah, probably.