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.”

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

If one gif disrupts your kmart internet then you've got issues

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Care to respond to any of the points I made? Or do you still believe that we give a shit about your money and that the worse you get treated on here the more this board fades away into internet oblivion?

He's a male nurse.
What kind of money does he have? Didn't-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-doctor money?

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by vailpass

He's a male nurse.
What kind of money does he have? Didn't-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-doctor money?

My wife is a nurse. Has been for over a decade. She does fin le financially... But she isn't bank rolling. I make double itlf not triple her income as a corporate pilot and business owner.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

My wife is a nurse. Has been for over a decade. She does fin le financially... But she isn't bank rolling. I make double itlf not triple her income as a corporate pilot and business owner.

I would never comment seriously on anyone's income.
That was just me busting balls.

[stumppy]

Originally Posted by vailpass

He's a male nurse.
What kind of money does he have? Didn't-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-doctor money?

He has have-to-save-for-a-year-to-buy-a-golf-club money.

[Quesadilla Joe]

New Berry quote...

Safety Eric Berry said he was hopeful he could come to an agreement on a long-term contract with the Chiefs before Wednesday's deadline for teams to designate franchise players. "I'm just being patient because you never know . . . I'm not getting my hopes up," Berry said. Berry said he hasn't changed his earlier stance that he wouldn't play with the Chiefs for the second straight season on the franchise tag. "I still stand by that," Berry said.

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=2...791047328262-4

[RunKC]

Terez Paylor

#Chiefs S Eric Berry says his agent has continued to speak with the Chiefs. Clark Hunt also made it clear both sides "want to get it done"

Berry will be a Chief

[Hoover]

We are keeping Berry

We are going to let Poe walk

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Dorsey is a reasonable guy so it's pretty clear that it's Berry's camp that hasn't done much of the compromising here.

We drafted Jones last year anticipating this scenario of letting Poe walk, we'll be fine on the line. We'll receive a 3rd round comp pick for 2018 when Poe gets his next big contract (I'm assuming we are not bringing in a big name free agent).

[Bugeater]

Anybody really believe he'll sit out the year if we tag him?

[DaFace]

This thread is a good example of everything that is wrong with megathreads. Just post new threads when there are updates, people!

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by DaFace

This thread is a good example of everything that is wrong with megathreads. Just post new threads when there are updates, people!

Thanks DaFace!

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe

Can I have thread starting privileges?

Yes. Just don't go posting a bunch of Broncos troll spam. If it's legit Chiefs news, you have my blessing to post a thread.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Anybody really believe he'll sit out the year if we tag him?

No.

[Spott]

Originally Posted by Dagnabit

No.

I can't think of a time where a holdout ever benefitted the player. If anything it usually ends up with the player losing money and even their roster spot when they do come back after a holdout.