Dorsey has used the tag and clearly intends to use the extra time to negotiate a long term deal with the star safety. So, this leads me to the question, was it a good idea to place the franchise tag on Berry?
If placing the tag leads to Dorsey being able to sign Berry to a long term deal, then it absolutely was a good idea. While some have said that Sean Smith should be paid over Berry, I do not agree with such a sentiment. While Smith is an admirable player on the left side of the defense at corner back, he is by no means elite.
He does get beat every now and then, his hands are shocking, and loses confidence from time to time after a few bad consecutive plays. Smith is a very good corner looking to be paid like he is an elite one. That is a deal that is not worth it for Kansas City.
Berry, however, is the heart and soul of this roster. That is something that cannot be monetary valued. While his play must also match his heart and soul, the effect that n absence of Eric Berry on this side is something that I do not want to see.
However, if a long term deal cannot be agreed upon, the $10.8 million cap hit will be a tough pill to swallow. Eric Berry is a world-class run-stuffer from the safety position. He is a ballhawk, a tough tackler and has decent hands. However, in man-to-man coverage he sometimes struggles and is not in the same class as an Earl Thomas type player.
Berry is worth a good pay day. He is not, however, worth the $10.8 million that the Chiefs would have to pay if a deal cannot be reached. So, in answer to the question was franchise tagging Berry a good move or not on the part of John Dorsey? Well, it depends on what happens in the next few months. If a deal is done that benefits both Berry and the Chiefs on the back of being tagged, then it is definitely a good move. If not, then Dorsey could well have plunged too much money into a good, but not yet elite, player.