Latest On Chiefs’ Talks With Berry, Poe

The Chiefs hold two of the highest-profile pending free agents in Eric Berry and Dontari Poe, but the team is discussing new deals with both defenders, John Dorsey said Thursday (via Dave Skretta of the Associated Press). Dorsey confirmed dialogue’s commenced between the team and the respective camps of Berry and Poe, describing the discussions with the nose tackle’s camp as “good conversations” while elaborating further on Berry.

“First off, I think Eric Berry had a fantastic season. Everybody within this organization, the community, has the utmost respect for that guy,” Dorsey said. “We’ve had very positive conversations with his representatives … Hopefully two sides can come together and mesh this thing out.”

Berry’s agent, Chad Speck, confirmed the Chiefs and the the All-Pro safety are talking. But he stopped short of saying the talks are positive, noting (on Twitter) the parties have “a long way to go.” Berry, 28, will enter his eighth season in 2017 and said recently he will not play it on the franchise tag as he did in 2016. It would cost the Chiefs nearly $13MM to franchise Berry again, and that would directly cut into their funding for a Poe re-up.

The Chiefs and Poe could not come to terms on an extension before last season, and word coming out of Kansas City in December indicated a future with Poe on the tag and Berry being signed to a long-term deal. The Dorsey regime is not usually vocal about contract discussions, so little emerging from the sides’ progress is not uncommon. A Poe tag is projected to cost the Chiefs $13.468MM. He has not made it known at this point if the tag is a non-starter like Berry, but that doesn’t seem likely since the $13MM-plus value would more than double his 2016 salary on the fifth-year option. The Chiefs stand to possess less than $4MM in cap space, but the franchise can create more than $17MM more by cutting Nick Foles and Jamaal Charles.

While Berry reaching the market would represent major news, the 26-year-old Poe resides as one of multiple impact 3-4 tackles in this class. Although, the Panthers are likely to place the franchise tag on Kawann Short and the Ravens have been open about their desire to keep Brandon Williams.

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Dorsey also attempted to quiet noise about a potential Packers future. He’s signed through 2017, but Skretta notes that is the last year of his Chiefs contract. The team wants to extend he and Andy Reid, also in the final year of his deal, but rumors about a Dorsey return to Green Bay have cropped up at multiple points this offseason.

“From my family’s perspective and mine, this has been the greatest four years of my life. I love this city, I love this team, I love this community. I think this is one of the most stable franchises in the NFL,” Dorsey said. “I love coming to work every day. I don’t know what more I can say.”