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.”

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Good, I'm fine with 6 yr's 55 million 28 GTD

works for me, backload it a bit to keep him around 8 million per and stick him back in the box where he can be ELITE.

DJ and Berry in the box makes our run defense so much better.

Makes a Houton blitz so much harder to deal with

DJ/Berry in the box makes all the short dinky pass much harder to complete

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Getlin was breaking a ton of free agent signings in March. If I remember correctly he was the first to report that KC signed Tamba and Jaye Howard.

And then Rapoport shat all over his story.

Good times.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by KnowMo2724

Getlin was breaking a ton of free agent signings in March. If I remember correctly he was the first to report that KC signed Tamba and Jaye Howard.

Shut up piss boy

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

works for me, backload it a bit to keep him around 8 million per and stick him back in the box where he can be ELITE.

DJ and Berry in the box makes our run defense so much better.

Makes a Houton blitz so much harder to deal with

DJ/Berry in the box makes all the short dinky pass much harder to complete

I'd rather keep him at FS. He's got all the tools to be elite at that position, which likely has more value in this league, if he isn't already.

[Meatloaf]

You all keep suggesting that Berry is better at FS or SS or box safety or whatever. How about the OTHER guys out there? What are their strong suits? If Berry's as good as advertised, shouldn't it be easier to put him just about anywhere and line up the rest of the secondary where THEY play best???

[Red Dawg]

3 hours to go. I say no deal. Don't want to but it just feels like it's not happening.

[Red Dawg]

Terez A. Paylor ✔ @TerezPaylor
Hearing the #Chiefs and Eric Berry remain far apart on a deal as of this morning.
11:31 AM - 15 Jul 2016

Damnit

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

Good, I'm fine with 6 yr's 55 million 28 GTD

I'd definitely be fine with that and I'm sure Dorsey would be as well.

But it sure doesn't look like Berry has any interest in signing that. The delay here sure points to 'highest paid safety in football' demands.

And if those are the demands, trade him.

[RunKC]

Doesn't look good at all to let Eric Berry walk. Won't settle well with other good players like MP22 and Houston. The guy is the leader of this team. Letting a model player who is damn good at his job just walk out the door is bad business.

It will absolutely have an affect on the team.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Doesn't look good at all to let Eric Berry walk. Won't settle well with other good players like MP22 and Houston. The guy is the leader of this team. Letting a model player who is damn good at his job just walk out the door is bad business.

It will absolutely have an affect on the team.

Cancer survivor....comeback player of the year....all-pro.....

Berry has ALL the leverage here. The Chiefs have three choices with him...
- pay him what he wants
- let him play on the franchise tag and do this all over again next year (and risk him sitting out the first ten games)
- trade him

That's it. Berry has the Chiefs by the short and curlies, and they know it. they are going to let him play on the tag this year because they don't want to sign him long term. They're going to give him the Brandon Albert treatment, you watch.

[Chief Northman]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Doesn't look good at all to let Eric Berry walk. Won't settle well with other good players like MP22 and Houston. The guy is the leader of this team. Letting a model player who is damn good at his job just walk out the door is bad business.

It will absolutely have an affect on the team.

Why do you assume he walks?
No team is paying him $12 million plus long term, let alone compensating with picks. He will be a Chief this season on the tag making good coin. Sensitive issue with his health, but perhaps the brass want to see another year out of him healthy and productive before committing long term.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Doesn't look good at all to let Eric Berry walk. Won't settle well with other good players like MP22 and Houston. The guy is the leader of this team. Letting a model player who is damn good at his job just walk out the door is bad business.

It will absolutely have an affect on the team.

Well then let's just give Berry whatever he wants.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Doesn't look good at all to let Eric Berry walk. Won't settle well with other good players like MP22 and Houston. The guy is the leader of this team. Letting a model player who is damn good at his job just walk out the door is bad business.

It will absolutely have an affect on the team.

If not making every good player on the team the highest paid guys at their position fractures the locker room, then you probably need to have a primer with your players on the realities of the salary cap and the definition of zero sum games.

They aren't 'letting Berry walk'. They're simply not handing him a blank check.

And if Houston wants to get uppity about it, **** him. He's seen firsthand that the Chiefs are willing to take care of their own. Berry, despite this organization going well above and beyond during his cancer fight, seems to think that holding them over a barrel is the way to go.

If this keeps the team from competing, then the team was looking for a reason to quit anyway.

[The Franchise]

I'd give him a 5 year deal worth $11 million a season. That's the max.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Chief Northman

Why do you assume he walks?
No team is paying him $12 million plus long term, let alone compensating with picks. He will be a Chief this season on the tag making good coin. Sensitive issue with his health, but perhaps the brass want to see another year out of him healthy and productive before committing long term.

Or the brass secretly is hoping he blows his knee out again so they can use the money to keep Poe. I know how shitty that sounds, but I guarantee they are looking at it from a business perspective.

*and no, I don't really think they wish injury on him, but they wouldn't be heartbroken if they suddenly had more cash than they thought they were going to have