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.”

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Clark is worth $2 billion man. If it really came down to it, $2 million is chump change to him.

You can even structure a contract to pay Berry more gauranteed $$ but place incentives that he must play ____ amount of games to receive his pay so if he misses time, we keep that $$.
This could have been proposed but was not reported.

Bottomline is the Chiefs don't feel Eric is worth $12 million, which is fine, but making him pay the $2 million premium while putting us as the beneficiary is a bad look.

NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported that Kansas City initially insisted on Berry paying for a disability insurance policy that would have named the Chiefs as a beneficiary. "Given everything that he's been through," said Garafolo, "that didn't go over so well."

The Chiefs later pulled the clause and insisted Friday that they plan on "resuming" negotiations.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...ise-tag-friday

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

IMO it's actually a very good idea, given the circumstances

Decision making is good but the optics are terrible.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Decision making is good but the optics are terrible.

I disagree.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by vailpass

NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported that Kansas City initially insisted on Berry paying for a disability insurance policy that would have named the Chiefs as a beneficiary. "Given everything that he's been through," said Garafolo, "that didn't go over so well."

The Chiefs later pulled the clause and insisted Friday that they plan on "resuming" negotiations.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...ise-tag-friday

After everything he's been through, with much financial and emotional support from the team and players it should have gone over better IMO

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

I disagree.

People are going to fixate on "omg greedy team asked a cancer survivor to pay for an insurance policy that benefits them!"

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

People are going to fixate on "omg greedy team asked a cancer survivor to pay for an insurance policy that benefits them!"

Those people are ****ing stupid.

My wife had cancer. She missed a ton of work. Other than 2 weeks, she wasn't paid during the time missed and had it not been for a Disability Policy that WE paid for, her income would have been lost.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

People are going to fixate on "omg greedy team asked a cancer survivor to pay for an insurance policy that benefits them!"

True, but after studying this, the Chiefs are just looking out for their best interests here. The real threat comes in other player's opinions of how they feel the Chiefs are as an organization when a guy like Berry can't get a long term deal. The Chiefs were in a lose/lose situation here.

It's an emotional reaction to a perfectly sane business action, really.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

People are going to fixate on "omg greedy team asked a cancer survivor to pay for an insurance policy that benefits them!"

say the team gives him a huge guaranteed contract that spans five years. A year or two in cancer comes back, which looks better? "you buy an insurance policy to pay us back and keep all the rest of your money" OR "ok YOU pay us back the prorated portion out of your pockets" like when players retire.

Basically the same situation at that point

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

After everything he's been through, with much financial and emotional support from the team and players it should have gone over better IMO

I was very surprised he didn't sign. Looks like KC made a good faith effort and berry wasn't as invested in the team and community as might have been expected.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Bowser

True, but after studying this, the Chiefs are just looking out for their best interests here. The real threat comes in other player's opinions of how they feel the Chiefs are as an organization when a guy like Berry can't get a long term deal. The Chiefs were in a lose/lose situation here.

It's an emotional reaction to a perfectly sane business action, really.

The Chiefs have more than proven that they can, will and do take care of their own.

Tamba Hali never hit Free Agency, nor did Derrick Johnson or Jamaal Charles. They took care of Dwayne Bowe but he failed to reciprocate.

They took care of Allen Bailey at a time when that was questioned by some (I was for it) and gave Jaye Howard $6 million per. They just rewarded Travis Kelce with a huge extension that pays him more than Gronk and made Houston the highest paid pass rusher in the league (albeit, briefly) and smartly signed Ron Parker.

They locked up West and Ware, Alex Smith and signed Maclin to a huge free agency contract.

Personally, I'd be surprised if any players had a problem with not coming to terms on a long term deal with Berry. They didn't cut or trade him and he's still the second highest paid safety in the league.

It's a business.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by vailpass

I was very surprised he didn't sign. Looks like KC made a good faith effort and berry wasn't as invested in the team and community as might have been expected.

I also can't blame him for wanting to get every dime he can as soon as he can. He knows how fast it could be taken away.


It's a tough deal

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by vailpass

I was very surprised he didn't sign. Looks like KC made a good faith effort and berry wasn't as invested in the team and community as might have been expected.

I don't fault Berry for wanting to look out for his interests in the least. It would just appear that he and his agent overvalued his worth. He's better than Harrison Smith, but even Harrison Smith is wildly overpaid. Berry might have well taken it personally when the Chiefs told him he'd have to pay for his own insurance if the cancer came back, who knows?

I'm not mad at the Chiefs on this one. I'm not mad at anybody, it just is what it is.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The Chiefs have more than proven that they can, will and do take care of their own.

Tamba Hali never hit Free Agency, nor did Derrick Johnson or Jamaal Charles. They took care of Dwayne Bowe but he failed to reciprocate.

They took care of Allen Bailey at a time when that was questioned by some (I was for it) and gave Jaye Howard $6 million per. They just rewarded Travis Kelce with a huge extension that pays him more than Gronk and made Houston the highest paid pass rusher in the league (albeit, briefly) and smartly signed Ron Parker.

They locked up West and Ware, Alex Smith and signed Maclin to a huge free agency contract.

Personally, I'd be surprised if any players had a problem with not coming to terms on a long term deal with Berry. They didn't cut or trade him and he's still the second highest paid safety in the league.

It's a business.

Good post.

I think I was getting at the "a person is smart, but people are blind panicky animals" angle with my comment. Get enough people bitching about the Chiefs not being loyal to Berry, and the next thing you know the Chiefs are ran by assholes and nobody wants to play for them anymore. That's obviously extreme, I just hope the Chiefs don't have to deal with silly shit like that.

[Meatloaf]

Originally Posted by Bowser

I don't fault Berry for wanting to look out for his interests in the least. It would just appear that he and his agent overvalued his worth. He's better than Harrison Smith, but even Harrison Smith is wildly overpaid. Berry might have well taken it personally when the Chiefs told him he'd have to pay for his own insurance if the cancer came back, who knows?

I'm not mad at the Chiefs on this one. I'm not mad at anybody, it just is what it is.

Yup, not mad at anyone either......but perhaps a bit disappointed with Berry after all of the goodwill showered on him by the Chiefs.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

I also can't blame him for wanting to get every dime he can as soon as he can. He knows how fast it could be taken away.


It's a tough deal

Absolutely. Seems like signing for a good chunk of gauranteed $ now would have been the best way to capitalize unless the offer was completely low ball.

I don't envy the front office in these kind of negotiations.