Chiefs rumors: Eric Berry will receive tag, Dontari Poe will walk

The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly ready to tag Eric Berry for a second time and will let Dontari Poe hit free agency, per ESPN’s Ed Werder.

Ed Werder, NFL analyst for ESPN, has word on what the Kansas City Chiefs might do concerning both Eric Berry and Dontari Poe in the days to come.

The Chiefs have already tagged Eric Berry once, which means his price tag will become approximately $13 million with another use. Unfortunately for them, Eric Berry has already said, and then reiterated on Sunday night, that he will not play under the franchise tag again.

Tagging Berry does not necessarily mean that Berry will have to play under it. Rather, it simply allows John Dorsey plenty more time to get an extension done with the star safety a la Justin Houston’s extension, when the Chiefs tagged him only to buy the time to work out the details of the new contract.

As for Dontari Poe, he will immediately become one of the biggest targets in free agency as a versatile, young defensive lineman who has two Pro Bowls to his credit. He’s an athletic marvel at his position who can push the pocket and stop the run, and despite some recent back issues and having logged a ton of snaps, Poe should still command near top dollar on the open market.

The cash-strapped Chiefs could be in for a bit of a painful offseason. It’s clear that John Dorsey still can’t meet Berry where he wants, even after having had a full year to already find common ground. What this means for Berry’s future with the team is uncertain, but he has zero leverage at this point unless he’s truly prepared to hold out.