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.”

[Meatloaf]

The cap makes folks sometimes make tough decisions. This is one of them. As per this particular decision......

Chiefs > Any one guy

If/when he leaves, we'll find another safety and someone else will man the leadership role. Just how it works.

That said, wouldn't surprise me at all that a contract will be signed at 2:59 this afternoon.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

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

I'd grit my teeth and deal with it.

But ultimately, I simply wouldn't give a safety that kind of money. Not with this staff having spun straw into gold several times over at the position and not with higher priority players that need to be paid just over the horizon.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

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

What would be your guaranteed money for him? That's what draws the players in or drives them away.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by 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???

Well that's the beauty in keeping a guy like him (and Parker to a lesser extent). These guys can legitimately line up anywhere and, in Berry's case, excel.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Bowser

What would be your guaranteed money for him? That's what draws the players in or drives them away.

$30 million.....max. Harrison Smith got $28 million and some change guaranteed.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

$30 million.....max. Harrison Smith got $28 million and some change guaranteed.

Like DJ said, it's steep, but I could live with it. Particularly if he stays at an All-Pro level with his play.

[Bowser]

And I know Harrison Smith is one of your Domer boys, but 28 million g-jack for him? Damn, talk about steep, lol.

[Meatloaf]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Well that's the beauty in keeping a guy like him (and Parker to a lesser extent). These guys can legitimately line up anywhere and, in Berry's case, excel.

Totally agree, Virus. It just struck me that the discussion was about where Berry plays best, and not what would engender the best defensive posture for the team.

Reid's made it very clear that flexibility is a key virtue for any player on this team, so that bodes well for somehow/someway signing Berry.......the only caveat is: not at any cost. Gotta manage that cap.

[The Franchise]

5 years, $55 million with $30 million guaranteed. That would be my best and final offer. That makes him the highest paid safety, for right now, and gives him a damn good amount of guaranteed money. Take it or leave it.

I think Charles and Colquitt are gone next year.....so I could deal with the cap hits that we'd have from Berry over the next couple of seasons.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Meatloaf

Totally agree, Virus. It just struck me that the discussion was about where Berry plays best, and not what would engender the best defensive posture for the team.

Reid's made it very clear that flexibility is a key virtue for any player on this team, so that bodes well for somehow/someway signing Berry.......the only caveat is: not at any cost. Gotta manage that cap.

Well, the cap IS a mirage. The Chiefs could do a deal and not be handcuffed by it. Wouldn't make signing Poe or Fisher any easier, but it wouldn't be impossible.

And I think I agree with you. I think we'll hear news in that 2:50-ish time frame about a deal being worked out.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Bowser

And I know Harrison Smith is one of your Domer boys, but 28 million g-jack for him? Damn, talk about steep, lol.

I wouldn't have paid that for him.....but apparently the Vikings will.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

5 years, $55 million with $30 million guaranteed. That would be my best and final offer. That makes him the highest paid safety, for right now, and gives him a damn good amount of guaranteed money. Take it or leave it.

I think Charles and Colquitt are gone next year.....so I could deal with the cap hits that we'd have from Berry over the next couple of seasons.

And Berry benefitted from being in the last draft class to give their first round picks insane bonuses. He'd be the rare football player that wasn't a QB to get two contracts with 25+ million dollars in guaranteed money.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Well, the cap IS a mirage. The Chiefs could do a deal and not be handcuffed by it. Wouldn't make signing Poe or Fisher any easier, but it wouldn't be impossible.

And I think I agree with you. I think we'll hear news in that 2:50-ish time frame about a deal being worked out.

It isn't a mirage, it just isn't a hard cap.

There's no way to simply disregard the cap. You can't buy your way out of it. At best, all you can do is push the hurt down the road and pray that the deals you sign never go sideways on you.

The cap exists and it will absolutely serve to **** teams something awful if they operate with the mentality that it doesn't matter. If you have a lot of good, young players, you can't treat the cap with impunity because sooner or later those backloads will all come due at the same time and for guys that are still young enough to produce.

[Meatloaf]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Well, the cap IS a mirage. The Chiefs could do a deal and not be handcuffed by it. Wouldn't make signing Poe or Fisher any easier, but it wouldn't be impossible.

And I think I agree with you. I think we'll hear news in that 2:50-ish time frame about a deal being worked out.

Agree with you Bowser, caps can be managed, but eventually you've gotta bite the bullet. Not sure this is bite bullet time, but it's close since as you say we've got other guys to work on next year. AND, at positions of more importance than safety. Very interesting predicament!!!

[Quesadilla Joe]

I'm told there will be no long-term deal reached between the #Chiefs and Eric Berry. Never looked good to get done. This is final.

— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) July 15, 2016