Is Eric Berry's Franchise Tag Fair Value?
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the Chiefs negotiations with safety Eric Berry. The writer believes the veteran’s $10.8MM franchise tag is right around fair value, although Berry is certainly taking a risk by not inking a long-term contract.
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Chiefs, Eric Berry Will Not Agree To Deal
3:17pm: Chiefs GM John Dorsey issued the following statement:
“Unfortunately, we were unable to reach a long-term agreement with Eric’s representatives before today’s deadline. Although both sides would have preferred a different outcome, Eric is a true professional and a tremendous football player, and we know that he will continue to be a leader in our locker room. We look forward to resuming our discussions on a long-term agreement when the negotiating window reopens after the season.”
2:48pm: The two sides never agreed on a single component of a potential deal, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.
2:43pm: During talks with Berry, the Chiefs proposed that he pay for a disability policy that named the club as beneficiary, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The club later backed off of that request, however. Garafolo (Twitter link) adds that there is some precedent for such a move, including the deals of Niners players Colin Kaepernick and Joe Staley.
12:57pm: The Chiefs and Eric Berry will not agree to a long-term deal today, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Berry has yet to ink his $10.81MM franchise tender, but he is expected to do that soon. After playing out the season on that one-year contract, the Chiefs will have the option of hitting Berry with the tag once again, but at an increased rate. 
Berry has been the face of the Chiefs’ organization for some time and heading into this offseason, many expected the two sides to come to a long-term agreement. However, Berry’s camp and KC have been “miles apart” on terms and the gap apparently never closed.
Berry, who earned Pro Bowl nods in three of his first four NFL seasons, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, raising some doubts about his future in the league. However, the veteran safety was declared cancer-free in 2015 and enjoyed one of his best seasons this past year for the Chiefs. Appearing in all 16 games for Kansas City in 2015, Berry logged 61 tackles to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked the Tennessee product sixth among 88 qualified safeties, and the standout season earned Berry his fourth Pro Bowl berth, along with a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro first team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Chiefs, Eric Berry
11:02am: We have conflicting reports on the Berry talks. The Chiefs and their star safety haven’t been in contact at all today, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). The two sides remain “miles apart” on reaching a long-term agreement, he says.
9:55am: The Chiefs and Eric Berry are still working and trying to hash out a long-term extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The two sides haven’t quite arrived at a deal yet, but they will be working until the deadline to hammer something out. 
This is a positive development for KC and their star safety and a stark contrast from yesterday’s reports. On Thursday morning, it was said that the two sides were nowhere near a deal. On Thursday evening, there was still “very little progress” between Berry and the Chiefs on a deal and a pact was termed as being unlikely. Berry is believed to be seeking a deal that would edge out Vikings safety Harrison Smith and his newly-minted five-year, $51.25MM contract.
Berry, who earned Pro Bowl nods in three of his first four NFL seasons, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, raising some doubts about his future in the league. However, the veteran safety was declared cancer-free in 2015 and enjoyed one of his best seasons this past year for the Chiefs. Appearing in all 16 games for Kansas City in 2015, Berry logged 61 tackles to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked the Tennessee product sixth among 88 qualified safeties, and the standout season earned Berry his fourth Pro Bowl berth, along with a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro first team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Franchise Tag Contract Deadline Primer
**Updated Friday morning, 10:12am CT**
This afternoon, we’ll know the fates of seven franchise-tagged players for the 2016 season and beyond. If their respective teams do not sign them to long-term contracts by 4pm ET/3pm CT, Broncos linebacker Von Miller, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, Chiefs safety Eric Berry, Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker will all play out the 2016 season on their one-year franchise tenders.
Will some of these players will reach lucrative multi-year deals between now and Friday afternoon? Or could we see all seven players nudged towards free agency in 2017? Here’s a complete rundown of what’s happening with each of these seven players as the deadline approaches:
Von Miller, Broncos
This offseason, Von Miller went from Dancing With The Stars to wrestling with the Broncos. Naturally, there is strong mutual interest in a new multi-year deal between Denver and the reigning Super Bowl MVP and the two sides even seem to have agreed upon terms of about $114.5MM over six years. However, there remains a significant gulf between the two sides when it comes to guaranteed money and cashflow in the first couple of years. As we’ve seen before, NFL contract terms are often not what they appear to be on the surface. In this league, you can be promised a small fortune, but it doesn’t mean much unless a significant portion of it is guaranteed and comes early on in the deal when the team values you most. 
Back in June, the Broncos offered up a six-year, $114.5MM deal with nearly $40MM guaranteed in the first two years. However, Miller wanted more in the way of guaranteed cash and wanted a higher payout in the first three years. Soon after, Miller doubled down on his threat to hold out in 2016 if he does not get the multi-year deal that he is after and his teammates say that he’s not bluffing. Would one of the league’s best defensive players and fiercest competitors really stay home all year long rather than chase another ring and earn more than $14MM? It’s hard to imagine, but there’s also considerable incentive for Miller to stick to his guns in this situation.
If Miller opts to sit out the 2016 season, the Broncos will only be able to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on him and will not have the exclusive franchise tag at their disposal. Typically, a team that is able to pry a player away on the non-exclusive tag would have to forfeit two first-round picks to the former team. However, per the terms of the CBA, the compensation price would drop from two first-round picks to a first and a third if Miller were to sit out. Some teams would consider forfeiting two first-round choices to land Miller and even more teams would mull it over if that price drops to a first- and third-round choice.
Reportedly, Miller still harbors resentment towards the Broncos for the way that talks have gone this offseason. However, things could be changing now that Denver has updated their offer to give Miller $70MM in “solid guarantees.”
Because of Miller’s holdout threat, there’s arguably more at stake for the Broncos than the other six teams negotiating with their franchise-tagged stars.
Kirk Cousins, Redskins
After a breakout 2015 season, Kirk Cousins wants to be paid like a top NFL quarterback. The Redskins, meanwhile, want to see him do it all over again in 2016 before committing major dollars to him across a five or six-year period.
After watching Brock Osweiler go from backup to baller this offseason, Cousins’ camp is salivating at his potential payday on the open market. For Cousins to forego a shot at free agency down the line, his agents are demanding $43.89MM in guarantees over the first two years of the pact, for starters. Wonder where that number comes from? That’s the combined value of the 2016 franchise tag ($19.95MM) and the franchise tag in 2017 ($23.94MM), if the Redskins were to use it again. If Washington wanted to go for an unprecedented three-peat of franchise tags, it would cost them $34.47MM (!) in 2018.
Cousins earned just $660K in 2015, making him one of the league’s very best values last year. Now, he’s looking to cash in on his next deal and he’s made it clear that he’s willing to bet on himself in 2016. As of this writing, the two sides are not expected to come to an accord by Friday afternoon.
Alshon Jeffery, Bears
Alshon Jeffery is regarded as one of the league’s top wide receivers – when he’s healthy. That’s likely the sticking point for the Bears, who want to see the 26-year-old give them a complete season before they give him enough money to buy his own private island. The 6’3″, 216-pound receiver missed six games during his rookie season because of hand and knee injuries. Last year, he sat out seven contests due to calf, hamstring, groin, and shoulder ailments. 
However, despite missing a good chunk of the 2016 season, Jeffery still racked up 54 catches for 807 yards and four touchdowns. Since his breakout campaign in 2013, the former second-round pick has averaged 89 receptions, 1,312 yards, and eight touchdowns per 16 games. Jeffery might not have a perfect attendance record, but he is a true game-changer when he is on the field.
Right now, it doesn’t sound like the Bears are going to get a deal done with Jeffery. GM Ryan Pace doesn’t have any qualms about moving on from players of the past regime and he could theoretically allow Jeffery to walk thanks to the presence of Kevin White.
Continue reading about the rest of this year’s franchise-tagged stars:
Deal Unlikely For Chiefs, Eric Berry
11:00pm: There’s been “very little progess” between Berry and the Chiefs, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds that it’s unlikely a contract will get done.
10:16am: As we heard late Wednesday night, the Chiefs and Eric Berry are not close on a deal at this time. However, a deal has not been ruled out, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) hears. Traditionally, Rapoport notes, GM John Dorsey reserves his best offer for just before the deadline, so the team could come up with an appealing proposal on Friday. 
[RELATED: Chiefs, Eric Berry Unlikely To Reach Agreement]
Berry, who earned Pro Bowl nods in three of his first four NFL seasons, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, raising some doubts about his future in the league. However, the veteran safety was declared cancer-free in 2015 and enjoyed one of his best seasons this past year for the Chiefs. Appearing in all 16 games for Kansas City in 2015, Berry logged 61 tackles to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked the Tennessee product sixth among 88 qualified safeties, and the standout season earned Berry his fourth Pro Bowl berth, along with a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro first team.
Heading into tomorrow’s deadline, Berry is one of a handful of franchise-tagged players around the league without a long-term deal. One way or another, we’ll have resolutions on stars like Berry, Kirk Cousins, Von Miller, and Muhammad Wilkerson by tomorrow afternoon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Franchise-Tagged Players
Barring an unlikely change in momentum, extensions are not expected to be reached for franchise-tagged players Kirk Cousins, Eric Berry, Alshon Jeffery, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Trumaine Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter’s latest word echoes other reports on these five players, but two names are conspicuously absent from this list: Von Miller and Justin Tucker. It’s not clear if the Broncos and Ravens are on the cusp of deals with their respective franchise-tagged stars, but their odds of reaching deals could be looking better than the rest of the pack at this time.
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As Mike Florio of PFT notes, things have been eerily quiet when it comes to Miller and the Broncos, which could be an indication that talks are moving along behind the scenes. In recent weeks, the acrimony between the two sides has been leaking out to the press, so this recent lack of news could be taken as good news when it comes to these contract talks.
The Broncos could theoretically trade Miller if they are unable to reach a long-term deal with him in the next day or so, but the team is focused only on retaining him. Meanwhile, Miller’s threat to sit out the 2016 season reportedly remains “very real” and several teammates believe that he will spend the year at home if he does not get his way. Late last week, the Broncos improved their offer to Miller, giving him more in the way of guarantees and better cashflow in the early part of the deal. Those are the key issues left to resolve as the two sides have largely agreed on the framework of a six-year, $114.5MM deal.
As the Ravens’ franchise player, Tucker will make $4.572MM this year if he and the team don’t agree to a new contract by tomorrow’s deadline. Some believe that the two sides haven’t struck a deal yet because Tucker is likely looking to eclipse the Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski as the NFL’s highest-paid kicker.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chiefs, Eric Berry Unlikely To Reach Agreement
Earlier this offseason, many around football expected Eric Berry‘s negotiations to go smoothly due to his importance to the Chiefs both on and off the field. However, the Chiefs’ impasse with their star safety doesn’t look to be set for a resolution by Friday’s deadline. However, absent what NFL.com’s Rand Getlin describes (on Twitter) as a “significant shift” in stances from the two sides, the Chiefs and Berry ar
en’t likely to reach an agreement on a long-term contract by Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com echoes Getlin’s report (Twitter link), saying that Berry could well be set to play this season on the franchise tag. Under the terms of the $10.86MM non-exclusive tag, Berry would make more than any other safety in 2016, but he’d be without the security most of his fellow top-tier safeties have been afforded.
The NFL’s reigning comeback player of the year has his eyes set on being the league’s highest-paid safety — a mantle currently held by recently extended Vikings back-line defender Harrison Smith and his five-year, $51.25MM contract. It’s understandable the 27-year-old Berry would view himself in this light. Entering his seventh season, his two first-team All-Pro honors are two more than the fifth-year Viking, who is also 27, and his four Pro Bowl invites quadruple Smith’s Hawaii nods.
Harris and Earl Thomas are the only $10MM-per-year safeties right now, but both players received their raises much earlier in their careers before Berry has. Both signed their long-term deals with their respective teams going into their fifth seasons. One of the three 2010 first-rounders to play out his six-year rookie contract under the old CBA, Berry entered the league before both as the No. 5 overall pick that year.
Last we heard, Berry stood surprised negotiations between he and his only NFL employer to date were moving as slowly as they have. Still, John Dorsey was previously on recording saying these talks would be a slow process.
The Chiefs also reside as one of the more cap-strapped teams in the league. While a backloaded Berry pact would create some space for the team this year (they currently have a league-low $1.169MM in cap room), it would continue to saturate Kansas City’s 2017 projected cap sheet. Without Berry or Dontari Poe on the books for ’17, the Chiefs are projected have ~$4MM in cap space with little wiggle room due to the bevy of guaranteed contracts on their payroll next year.
Dorsey, though, headlined a negotiation with 2015 franchise player Justin Houston — one that did not end until the July 15 deadline — when the pass-rusher became the league’s highest-paid linebacker. So, a precedent exists here, and the sides’ lack of public acrimony should help this effort as the deadline nears.
Once Berry resumed his full-time duties at free safety last season following his heroic recovery from cancer, the Chiefs’ defense became one of the league’s best. The unit finished seventh in total defense, and Pro Football Focus ranked Berry sixth out of 88 qualified full-time safeties.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Offseason In Review: Kansas City Chiefs
In an offseason with some landmark signings and departures in the AFC West, the Chiefs wound up being the group’s steadiest franchise, opting instead to mostly to keep their core together. After ascending past the first round of the AFC playoff bracket for the first time since the 1993 season, Kansas City stands to return most of its starting lineup this year.
Exactly how good are the Chiefs? That’s a little tough to figure out since the team suffered many of its losses to quality opposition and saw most of its wins come against substandard opposition or quality teams that happened to be depleted at quarterback. The organization has done well to return to the position of an annual postseason contender, but how much further can this group carry this franchise as presently constructed in a division that features the defending Super Bowl champions and a potentially resurgent Raiders team?
Notable signings:
- Mitchell Schwartz, T: Five years, $33MM. $12.66MM guaranteed.
- Tamba Hali, LB: Three years, $21MM. $11.5MM guaranteed.
- Eric Berry, S: One year, $10.806MM. Fully guaranteed. Assigned franchise tag.
- Derrick Johnson, LB: Three years, $21MM. $8.75MM guaranteed.
- Jaye Howard, DL: Two years, $10MM. $5.76MM guaranteed.
- Frank Zombo, LB: Three years, $3.6MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Jamell Fleming, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K guaranteed.
- Rod Streater, WR: One year, $810K. $10K guaranteed.
- Andy Mulumba, LB: One year, $620K. $10K guaranteed.
- Stevie Brown, S: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Drew Nowak, C: One year, $525K.
- Mike Williams, WR: Contract terms unknown.
The Chiefs entered the offseason with half of their starting defense bound for the UFA market, but they’ll now head into the season with ten starters back from last season’s No. 7-ranked defense. In a continued effort to keep a core together that’s been responsible for the franchise securing two playoff berths in a three-season span for the first time since the 1990s, Kansas City brought back Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, Jaye Howard, and Eric Berry. 
After his heroic recovery from cancer, Berry delivered one of his finest seasons to date. The former No. 5 overall pick’s return to full-time status coincided with the Chiefs becoming only the second 1-5 team since the merger to make the playoffs, and Berry blazed to his second All-Pro honor while securing comeback player of the year acclaim.
Berry is viewed as the face of the Chiefs, an organization that has strived for stability since John Dorsey and Andy Reid took over. Because of that, many have expected Berry’s contract to be completed by the July 15 deadline. Kansas City reached a deal on July 15 of last year to make Justin Houston the highest-paid linebacker ever, so despite an offseason where little has emerged from these talks, the 27-year-old Berry is a good bet to be signed. Using Harrison Smith‘s five-year, $51.25MM Vikings extension — one that contains $15.28MM fully guaranteed and averages $10.25MM per year — as a primer should make this pact simpler than Houston’s to negotiate.
The other re-signings should give the Chiefs a good chance at again being a top-10 defense, but the team is now heavily committed financially to two linebackers who will be firmly in their mid-30s by the time their three-year contracts end. The Chiefs picked Dee Ford two years ago in the first round despite Hali and Houston residing in their primes, doing so with the presumed intent to plug in the ex-Auburn edge defender into Hali’s spot once his contract expired. However, Ford has not proven to be up to the task to this point, and Houston’s ACL surgery further clouded the Chiefs’ pass-rushing situation. These factors led to bringing Hali back.
While the 32-year-old lifetime Chief had another Pro Bowl season, Hali’s sack numbers continued to dwindle. He notched 6.5 last season after a six-sack 2014. The 2006 first-round pick finished with at least nine during the previous four slates, and he spent his 10th NFL season battling knee injuries. Committing three years — two are essentially guaranteed — and $21MM to Hali prevented the Chiefs from either attempting to retain Sean Smith or adding a veteran cornerback to help compensate for his defection.
Hali still resides as a quality player, but both he and Ford being employed in K.C. this season shows somewhat of a planning failure. The Chiefs’ clogged 2017 payroll, once cap numbers for the extended veterans balloon, illustrates this.
Set to turn 34 this season, Johnson remains one of the NFL’s top inside linebackers. He’s obviously nearing the finish line, but the identical three-year, $21MM deal fell in line with similar accords given to aging non-rush ‘backers in recent years. Karlos Dansby‘s Browns deal and David Harris‘ Jets pact laid the groundwork for a third Chiefs-Johnson agreement. Johnson’s outplayed both and returned from a 2014-erasing Achilles injury to enhance Kansas City’s run defense. The Chiefs going from 28th to eighth in that span included Johnson as the key variable, and he has a good chance of remaining productive for at least the largely guaranteed portion of his deal — 2016-17.
Kansas City also faced the prospect of losing Howard, but the emerging defensive end’s market didn’t price him out of Missouri. As a result, the Chiefs brought the 27-year-old starter back on a deal hat looks like a team-friendly accord after Howard enjoyed a breakout season. His contract is similar to fellow starting end Allen Bailey‘s 2015 re-up (four years, $25MM). This is the best trio of defensive linemen the Chiefs have housed since they moved to a 3-4 in 2009, and the Howard pact keeps it intact for another year.
Retention represented the theme of the Chiefs’ offseason, but their biggest upgrade came at one of their more troublesome modern-day spots. Mitchell Schwartz will fill a gaping hole at right tackle after becoming one of the best right-edge blockers in football during his latter Browns seasons. The Chiefs haven’t deployed a consistent option at right tackle since the early 2000s, with those famed lines featuring John Tait prior to his 2004 exit.
Schwartz, whose older brother Geoff Schwartz spent time at right tackle for the 2013 Chiefs, rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 tackle last season and No. 2 right tackle. He’ll help fortify an edge that contributed to Alex Smith being sacked a career-high 45 times in each of the past two years. Kansas City will now boast above-average options at both tackle spots and center, with Mitch Morse impressing as a rookie and Eric Fisher improving, after not trotting out many players who could have qualified for that distinction over the past two seasons.
Continue reading about the Chiefs’ offseason…
helping lead the team to 11 straight victories behind 
ay nose.
Houston’s ACL issue stands to be a key factor for the Chiefs’ pass defense. A lot will be asked of the supplementary edge defenders and a young corner corps to keep the unit functioning without the operation’s linchpin at his best.Talks Between Chiefs, Eric Berry Moving Slowly
SATURDAY, 8:35am: Paylor has some quotes from Berry, who elaborated on the slow negotations.
“I thought it would progress a little bit more,” he said. “But it’s still been pretty much the same since the last time we talked. A lot can change in a week. A lot can change for whenever the deadline is.”
Of course, the safety also noted that he intends and hopes to stay in Kansas City longterm.
“Obviously I’d love to be a Chief — I want to be a Chief long term, just because of the community, the staff, from top to bottom, the players and everything,” he added. “But sometimes things don’t go as planned, and I’m prepared for that, but hopefully it goes as planned, and I’m prepared for that, as well.”
FRIDAY, 8:28pm: The Chiefs have until next Friday to reach a long-term deal with franchise player Eric Berry, but the star safety tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links) that he’s surprised at the slow pace of negotiations. However, Berry did reaffirm his desire to hammer out an extension with the club, adding a tone of optimism to the talks.
Berry, 27, has always been thought to be among the franchise-tagged players with the highest chance of inking a new contract with his club, especially given his superb relationship with Chiefs management. But given that Berry likely has his sights set on becoming the highest-paid safety in the league — and topping the five-year, $51.25MM extension signed by Vikings safety Harrison Smith — it’s not entirely surprising that no deal has yet been finalized. Additionally, it’s worth noting that even back in May, Kansas City general manager John Dorsey said he expected negotiations with Berry to be a “slow process.”
Berry, who earned Pro Bowl nods in three of his first four NFL seasons, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2014, raising some doubts about his future in the league. However, the veteran safety was declared cancer-free in 2015 and enjoyed one of his best seasons this past year for the Chiefs.Appearing in all 16 games for Kansas City in 2015, Berry logged 61 tackles to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked the Tennessee product sixth among 88 qualified safeties, and the standout season earned Berry his fourth Pro Bowl berth, along with a spot on the NFL’s All-Pro first team.
The Chiefs aren’t the only club to hit a speed bump in talks with their franchise-tagged player this week. The Broncos and Von Miller are locked in a tight dispute over contract structure and guaranteed money, while the Redskins and Kirk Cousins are at an impasse, meaning the quarterback will play the 2016 season under the franchise tender. Meanwhile, the Bears and Alshon Jeffery appear unlikely to reach a new pact, and the same can be said in New York, where the Jets aren’t close to a deal with Muhammad Wilkerson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Corry: Chiefs Will Sign Eric Berry
The Broncos and Chiefs have tagged players for the second straight year, with Denver’s negotiation taking on a higher-profile tone as Kansas City’s unfolds quietly. Corry sees the Broncos structuring a Miller deal in the same way the Eagles constructed Fletcher Cox‘s extension as the compromise necessary to finish the deal.
Denver’s offer of six years and $114.5MM has reportedly satisfied Miller’s camp, but its $38.5MM in fully guaranteed money hasn’t. In Cox’s six-year, $103MM extension, the converting defensive tackle will see $55MM fully guaranteed by next March. The Broncos moving up a portion of Miller’s guaranteed money to vest at the same time and giving the two-time All-Pro approximately $58MM by March of 2017 should be enough to induce a signing, Corry writes, with the former agent not buying the linebacker’s threats to sit out the season since no franchise-tagged player has missed an entire year since Chiefs defensive lineman Dan Williams in 1998.
As for the Chiefs’ current franchise player, Berry should sign for around the same amount as Harrison Smith (five years, $51.5MM), Corry notes. The Chiefs, as they did for several of their recent contract extensions, will likely backload that deal as well. Kansas City is up against the 2016 cap, with $1.17MM in space, so a Berry signing would alleviate that burden somewhat. However, it would add to the Chiefs’ bevy of commitments come 2017 since they stand to possess barely $4MM in space without a Berry deal on the books.