Keeping Berry
Looking at this situation from what is there for drafting and free agency, this one will be tougher to work out. Walter Football has a couple intriguing nose tackle options coming up. Caleb Brantley from Florida. He comes in at 6-foot-2 and 314 pounds. The reports say he has a good mix of strength and speed. Brantley’s specialty seems to be pass rushing, as he’s able to shed blocks easily and close on the quarterback quickly.
If he does not get the sack himself, then he would force extra blockers and create more opportunities for sacks by his teammates. The second one is Jaleel Johnson of Iowa. Johnson has the same mix of speed and strength, plus he has even deflected a couple passes this last season.
Free agency from Spotrac has no one interesting or appealing coming up. Brantley would be a first round selection and Johnson is projected to be a second or third round player. The issues I see with these guys playing at NT is that they are better suited size wise for a traditional 3-4 defensive end instead of the NT which is usually quite a bit heavier.
The verdict?
From where things stand at this point in time, it would play out better for Kansas City to let Berry go. That pains me so much to realize. It probably would be cheaper to retain Poe plus, the potential draft replacements are very tempting. Spotrac free agency has nothing tempting for either safety spot so the draft would have to be our go-to for filling the void left by Berry.
The other issue with letting Berry go is we would lose the emotional heart and backbone of the defense. The man took the fight to cancer and won spectacularly. He came back with a fire that can never be put out. That fire is critical to the Chiefs’ defense. A real inspiration and leader would be lost if we let Berry walk. I, for one, do not want Berry to go. We can make the line without Poe work.