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.”

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Originally Posted by TribalElder

“I’ll just take that time to chill with my family, honestly, (and) I’ll sit the season out,” Berry said, when asked what he’ll do if the Chiefs tag him again. “I just want what’s right. That’s it.”

And in the mind of Berry – and likely anyone who watched the way he led the Chiefs with his words and actions in 2016 – what’s right is a long-term contract with the Chiefs. He was hopeful of getting one last offseason but did not as he instead watched two younger, slightly less-accomplished safeties — Minnesota’s Harrison Smith and Arizona’s Tyrann Mathieu — receive the type of deals the 28-year-old Berry, who has two more Pro Bowls (five) than those two combined (three), had been seeking.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl...#storylink=cpy

What would Belicheck do ? He'd give Berry a fair but team friendly contract or let him walk. That's what we will offer. We're not in cap space heaven anyway. Berry is a rich man already. He needs to show a little respect and comittment to the Chiefs organization. He can take a 5 year 50 mil contract and be happy about it.

[arrwheader]

The dude has been above average and that's being modest. He got cancer and beat it with his Eric Berryness. Then he came back the NEXT year and was all pro. Then he brought it AGAIN this year with no contract after all that he went through and didn't cry about it. Laid the wood when he could, won us a game. HUGE leader on this team and to top the damn cherry off the guy LOVES KC.

Cut him.

Edit: JK, wtf you got to sign this guy he's given it all to the Chiefs because he loves it here and loves his team. Pay him. No one deserves it more than him. No Chief has earned it more. Name one. Over pay him, we pay JH to sit on his ass all year, his fault or not. Pay this man. He sets an example. It says a lot to other players as well if you sign him.

[philfree]

How much did the Chiefs pay Berry in 2016?

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by philfree

How much did the Chiefs pay Berry in 2016?

$10.8 M

[arrwheader]

He's saying **** the tag and the 13 million with it. I wanna be a Chief for life.


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[Urc Burry]

Originally Posted by arrwheader

He's saying **** the tag and the 13 million with it. I wanna be a Chief for life.


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I'd do the same as him. He played on a prove it deal, and exceeded expectations. **** the tag. Depending on who you ask him or Peters was our best defensive player this year. Pay the man what he deserves

[TribalElder]

Can he have some of Justin Houstons paycheck

[philfree]

Originally Posted by Spider2YBanana

$10.8 M

What contract did Berry want in 2016? How much guaranteed?

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by TribalElder

Can he have some of Justin Houstons paycheck

Yeah, among with a couple others'.

[Couch-Potato]

Name a better Role-Model for kids in the League? This guy's a true hero in KC! Dude lifted weights all through chemotherapy and came back an All-Pro! Intagibles alone are worth paying him, not too mention Chiefs have cap space carrying over and a star RB that likely won't be back at the same rate next year...if Berry's not worth rewarding, then who is?

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Berry will be paid, and his haters can go suck a Tootsie-Pop.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Originally Posted by Couch-Potato

Name a better Role-Model for kids in the League? This guy's a true hero in KC! Dude lifted weights all through chemotherapy and came back an All-Pro! Intagibles alone are worth paying him, not too mention Chiefs have cap space carrying over and a star RB that likely won't be back at the same rate next year...if Berry's not worth rewarding, then who is?

FFS it's not like he had melanoma, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, osteosarcoma. Like thyroid cancer, prostate cancer and APML, Lymphoma is one of the most curable cancers you can have. Not all cancers are created equal. His survival rate was >90%. (God Bless Modern Medicine).

The idea that we should be paying players for emotional/symbolic reasons is absolutely stupid (please see BB and the Pats...the only players you are allowed to be attached to are Tom and Gronk, that's it!). We already did him a favor paying him his contract that we weren't obligated to during his illness. How many more favors do we have to give Berry? His best years are behind him.

Weddle is older than him and playing on a 2 year/13mil contract and was the highest rated safety in 2016. Put that into perspective. We've already committed too much to DJ, Tamba, and Houston...why add a 4th to the list? Consider that Dorsey was bold enough (And rightfully so) to walk away from Sean Smith. He should do the same to Berry if the price is not right.

Berry is holding this team hostage and going to use the PR tactic which is bull****!

[TribalElder]

Please don't use the patriots as a reference

Chiefs would never cheat, pull fire alarms, skirt the rules, and do other dastardly stuff to win at all costs so we can't compare with them.

[Chief Northman]

Originally Posted by TigerUppercut

FFS it's not like he had melanoma, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, osteosarcoma. Like thyroid cancer, prostate cancer and APML, Lymphoma is one of the most curable cancers you can have. Not all cancers are created equal. His survival rate was >90%. (God Bless Modern Medicine).

The idea that we should be paying players for emotional/symbolic reasons is absolutely stupid (please see BB and the Pats...the only players you are allowed to be attached to are Tom and Gronk, that's it!). We already did him a favor paying him his contract that we weren't obligated to during his illness. How many more favors do we have to give Berry? His best years are behind him.

Weddle is older than him and playing on a 2 year/13mil contract and was the highest rated safety in 2016. Put that into perspective. We've already committed too much to DJ, Tamba, and Houston...why add a 4th to the list? Consider that Dorsey was bold enough (And rightfully so) to walk away from Sean Smith. He should do the same to Berry if the price is not right.

Berry is holding this team hostage and going to use the PR tactic which is bull****!

You are trying too hard to play the "anti-sentiment" on these boards. How anyone takes you seriously, let alone puts up with your dumbassery is beyond me. Your stench is in every thread. Please go have a shower and scrub.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by arrwheader

He's saying **** the tag and the 13 million with it. I wanna be a Chief for life.


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bullshit

He's saying i'm not going to take any shit, no home town discount.

Pay me my 15+ million a year or I'll just retire rather than play for the Chiefs again.