The Great Eric Berry Debate: How much does the Chiefs safety deserve?
By Matt Conner
Question 1: Is Eric Berry the biggest re-signing that John Dorsey has had to consider?
Lyle: I don’t think so. Justin Houston is a bigger talent.
Britt: I think it’s close between Berry, Houston and Rodney Hudson.
Nick: Berry is a big talent for sure, and with the headache that happened last year with the franchise tag, there is even more pressure on John Dorsey than there was with Houston. So I would state that Berry is the bigger signing because of the drama that happened. Yes there was drama with the Houston signing, but it seems like this one is a little more dramatic, and therefore a bigger signing.
Matt: Last year, I was ecstatic about having Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali back in the fold, looking like they would absolutely finish their careers here in Kansas City. Fast forward to the present day, and I’m not so excited about those contracts. The same can be said of Houston. That makes me leery of facing the same sort of scenario with Berry. Am I wrong here?
I mean, I don’t want to be the guy who says “Don’t trade for Jimmy Garoppolo because Matt Cassel.” The past doesn’t affect the present in that way, but it’s hard to not view Berry through that lens for me — especially with his health history.
Britt: You are using good history to predict the future. As fans we all love the big names and players we know, but the team can’t look at their team as fans, they have to look at it as a business trying to win a championship.
I also don’t see anything wrong with using history to help decide the present. It’s not just Matt Cassel, it’s also Ryan Mallett. It’s also a full list of Patriots players in general who turn out to be bad when they leave the comforts of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
Lyle: I think Hali and DJ are different because they were clearly at the tail end of their careers when they signed. Berry is arguably at his peak and the best at his position in the game.
Britt: Back to the talent to consider. Rodney Hudson was the safest free agent. He was a top player at his position. The Chiefs lacked any depth at that position so the drop off was tremendous and he had clean injury history. Houston had the highest ceiling but major injury concerns and we have just drafted a rookie to replace him and had Hali still around for depth.
Lyle: I think Houston is a better comparison. Houston is an even greater impact player when healthy. However I do think you have to factor what Berry adds from a leadership and emotional standpoint in the locker room.
Nick: Totally agree that Berry is a huge leader in that secondary.
Britt: Berry is probably the biggest in terms of the fans. It seems most fans are solid in the keep Berry no matter what camp. So if he doesn’t sign Berry there will be fan outrage as well as losing a leader in the locker room.
Matt: You guys bring up great points. Berry is playing at an elite level right now and those intangibles are hard to quantify. It’s hard to say for sure, but we’ll likely all agree that Berry presents a real quandary for Dorsey.
Nick: I would not want to be in Dorsey’s shoes this offseason. There is some good talent leaving the team, and with the limited amount of cap space we have, it will make it tough to retain those players.
Lyle: I just think when you factor in his play on the field — the best all-around safety? — along with his leadership, his emotional connection to his teammates and the fans and his overall story of beating cancer, this is a guy you need to find a way to keep.
Nick: Also take in mind that the Chiefs very well could have went 10-6, but Berry through some amazing play helped steal away two victories that were looking like defeats.
Britt: I may be the minority here for sure, but I don’t believe Berry is the best all-around safety in football. He is very good, don’t get me wrong. But I would not consider him the best, or even top three.
Matt: Woah, Britt just lowered the drawbridge.
Britt: No doubt Berry basically won the Falcons and Panthers games for us, or at worst played the largest factor in those wins. I dare anyone to argue against that!
Lyle: I totally respect the argument for other safeties. There are better run stoppers. There are better coverage guys. There are other safeties that are leaders on and off the field. Berry just does all of it well.