Coffee with the Chiefs – Deadline day
Good morning, Addicts! This is it. This is the big day for the Kansas City Chiefs and strong safety Eric Berry.
Kansas City has had all offseason to try and work out a deal with the four-time Pro Bowl safety and two-time All-Pro, but reports say that the team and player are nowhere near a deal. For the Chiefs part, this would be a devastating situation if Berry is not signed. Not only is he the heart and soul of the team, he is 27 years old and coming off a First-Team All-Pro season after beating cancer.
For Berry, missing out on what could be $25-30 million in guaranteed money to play on the $10.8 million franchise tag is a huge risk. The Chiefs could also tag him again next year at $12 million if they choose, although it would be unlikely.
Let’s hope a deal gets done before the 3 p.m. CST deadline. Here’s the news you need to know…
Chiefs and Eric Berry are far apart on deal – Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star
"A new deal would make sense for both sides. Although the franchise tender is good money (and guaranteed) Berry stands to collect far more guaranteed money with a new deal. He has two more 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."
Raiders, Chiefs could be sleepers of 2016 season – The Sports Xchange
"Of their own doing, both those teams have made strides in the last couple of years, the Chiefs from 2-14 in 2012 to three successive winning records and a 31-17 regular-season record, the Raiders from more than a decade of irrelevance to a 7-9 season that included a victory on the road against Super Bowl champion Denver."
Chiefs, Eric Berry disagree over starting point on negotiations – Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride
"It’s probably higher. Rand Getlin of NFL Network suggested recently on Snapchat that $12 million per year makes sense. If Berry were tagged two straight years, it would cost the Chiefs just under $24 million. Thus, no agent, Rand says, should be asking for less than $12 million per year."