An outside the box idea for the Eric Berry situation

[BossChief]

It sucks to lose a guy like Berry to something out of everyone's control. I want to see the Chiefs handle the situation by taking care of Eric while also giving us cap space because the guy has a 8.4m cap number.

I think the best move would be to give the guy a contract extension.

Take his base salary for 2015 ...5,155,000 and the workout bonus of 300,000 and make that his signing bonus for a new 6 year deal.Put a reasonable roster bonus in there for 2016 and hope and pray he comes back.

What this does for Berry:

He gets every dime he would have gotten this upcoming year in one lump sum to help him fight this thing. Gives him a open door to return to action once he can return. Lets him know the Chiefs are 100% in his corner.

What this does for KC:

PR win.
Saves about 4m off this years cap
Ensures he stays in KC if he can return in a year.

There are other benefits and drawbacks, but I thought this kind of thing would be the best way to handle the Eric Berry situation.

Thoughts?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Chiefshrink

I see your point but I think this is a unique situation where Berry struggled being on the field with his injury and having cancer and not living up to the Ed Reed/Polamalu type of hype and play we thought we were getting when we originally drafted him. Yet he is a great team leader on and off the field while fending off cancer at the moment and playing solidly but really not 5th overall pick play but yet winning the comeback player of the year can play with your ego and you can overestimate yourself very easily. He was the first one with the shot across the bow. If the shot had never come then I would agree with your theory. He vastly overestimated his playing worth to this team. Mgmt sees him as good. Berry sees himself as great. Good doesn't get you the $$.

The bottom line is that in choosing not to negotiate in good faith, he sealed his fate.

That was a conscious choice. He wasn't a victim of circumstance.