Eric Berry - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs, S Eric Berry Agree To Deal

February 28th, 2017 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs and safety Eric Berry are finalizing a six-year deal worth $78MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It will make him the highest paid safety in the NFL. Berry has topped the Cardinals’ Tyrann Mathieu, who previously led all back end defenders with a $12.5MM+ annual salary. The deal includes $40MM in guarantees, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter), including a $20MM signing bonus. He’ll earn $30MM over first two years of his new deal, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

Berry, 28, said that he did not want to play under a franchise tender for a second consecutive season. Now, the two sides have successfully avoided a potentially awkward situation between the two sides. Now that Berry is taken care of in advance of the franchise deadline, KC can tag fellow free agent Dontari Poe. Poe would earn roughly $13.5MM on the tender.

Berry played a full 16 game season in 2016 and posted four interceptions, nine passes defensed, and one forced fumble. he graded ou tas the NFL’s No. 8 safety, per Pro Football Focus, which also handed Berry top marks for pass coverage.

Just this week, Berry said he wasn’t “getting [his] hopes up” about the prospects of a new deal, but his representation has worked feverishly to reach agreement on a long-term pact.

Chiefs Working To Re-Sign Eric Berry

February 27th, 2017 at 9:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs are making a “strong push” to work out a new deal with free agent safety Eric Berry, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The extension proposal is expected to make Berry the highest-paid safety in the league, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Both the Chiefs and Berry are reportedly optimistic that a new deal can be hammered out, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). But If the two sides can’t agree to terms, Kansas City is expected to place the franchise tag on Berry.

Berry, 28, hasn’t been shy about his desire not to play under a franchise tender for a second consecutive season. Just yesterday, Berry said he wasn’t “getting [his] hopes up” about the prospects of a new deal, but his representation is apparently now close to a fresh pact. If he does become the NFL’s highest-paid safety, Berry will have to earn more than the Cardinals’ Tyrann Mathieu, who currently leads all back end defenders with a $12.5MM+ annual salary.

Berry, whom PFR ranked as 2017’s top free agent safety, played in all 16 games last season and posted four interceptions, nine passes defensed, and one forced fumble. The former first-round pick graded as the league’s No. 8 safety in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, which handed Berry exceptional marks in pass coverage. Berry earned $10.806MM under the terms of the franchise tag last year, and his salary would increase into the $11MM range if he’s tagged again.

Of course, if the Chiefs lock up Berry for the long haul, they’d have the option of employing the franchise tender on free agent defensive tackle Dontari Poe. Poe would earn roughly $13.5MM on the tender, which would restrict his access to the open market.

Chiefs To Tag Eric Berry Over Dontari Poe?

February 27th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have only one franchise tag to give but they have two key free agents that are worthy of consideration. Right now, the “expectation” is that they will tag Eric Berry and allow Dontari Poe to be an unrestricted free agent, unless one of them agrees to a new deal in the next 48 hours, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

Evaluations of Poe will vary depending on who you talk to. By our measure, Poe ranks as the fifth-best pending free agent defensive tackle, behind Kawann Short, Calais Campbell, Johnathan Hankins, and Brandon Williams. Some league execs might consider the former first-round pick to be as high as No. 3 on that list. No matter what, Poe will get major money thrown at him from all angles if he reaches the open market, and that could price him out of Kansas City.

Berry was retained with the franchise tag prior to the 2016 season and he has been vocal about not wanting to play under another one-year tender. If the Chiefs follow through on this plan and tag Berry, they could conceivably wind up in a standoff with their most popular player. Ideally, KC would probably like to work out a multi-year deal with the strong safety and use the franchise tag on Poe, particularly since the defensive tackle is amenable to playing on the lucrative one-year tender.

Here’s a fun fact from Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter): the $12.97MM tag for Berry would push him to $73.82MM in career earnings, which means that he would remain the highest paid safety in NFL history on a average per-year basis. Of course, Berry would prefer to keep the mantle of highest-paid safety while also gaining the security of a multi-year deal.

Latest On Chiefs’ Eric Berry Talks

February 26th, 2017 at 6:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Discussions between the Chiefs and Eric Berry are ongoing and will likely persist until Wednesday’s deadline for teams to apply the franchise tag to players. But the three-time All-Pro safety isn’t exactly optimistic a long-term deal is coming by then.

“I’m just being patient because you never know,” Berry said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I’m not getting my hopes up.”

As for Berry’s vow not to play a second season as a franchised-tagged performer, the 28-year-old defender stands by it, he told Teicher. Berry confirmed, via Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link), talks between his agent and Chiefs management are continuing. And team chairman Clark Hunt said “both sides want to get it done.”

The Chiefs’ end of the dialogue doesn’t differ much from last year, when the sides couldn’t come close to agreeing on a long-term pact. But Berry’s does, as does Kansas City’s situation.

Berry is a year older but is coming off probably his best season, which saw him return two interceptions for pivotal touchdowns en route to joining Earl Thomas as the only active safeties with three first-team All-Pro distinctions. The former first-rounder also could have a higher compensation target, given Tyrann Mathieu‘s six-year deal ($12.5MM AAV) that was signed after the Chiefs and Berry’s 2016 talks ceased. Berry, who played on his rookie deal from 2010-15, earned $10.86MM on the tag last year. Another Berry tag would cost the Chiefs $12.967MM.

While Berry won’t be happy if he’s tagged by Wednesday, depriving him of another chance to venture onto the free agent market in his 20s, but the Chiefs have until July 15 reach an agreement with their cornerstone defender. However, tagging Berry this week means Dontari Poe stands to become a free agent, assuming no long-term deal occurs between the Chiefs and their perennial starting nose tackle.

Kansas City is projected to have just $5.1MM in cap space, and although the team can shed nearly $17MM more by cutting Jamaal Charles and declining Nick Foles‘ 2017 option, it could still be a tight squeeze.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position: Defense

February 24th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. After looking at offense, we’ll tackle defense and special teams today.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2017:

Edge defender:

The Cardinals have already made it abundantly clear that Chandler Jones will see the franchise tag this offseason, and Melvin Ingram and Jason Pierre-Paul are also candidates to be tagged by the Chargers and Giants, respectively. If the latter two are able to hit the open market unfettered, however, they both figure to break the bank. Ingram, Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 edge defender, could be a fit for both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes, while JPP will be looking for a long-term commitment after signing consecutive one-year deals.

The rest of this year’s crop of free agent pass rushers is a blend of young defenders searching for their first payday and veterans on the hunt for one last contract. Among the players with youth still on their side, Packers edge defenders Nick Perry and Datone Jones figure to interest different clubs, as Perry is a better match for a 3-4 defense while Jones needs to restart his career as a 4-3 defensive end. John Simon has been overlooked while playing alongside the likes of J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus but could represent a hidden gem, while the Dolphins are reportedly prioritizing Andre Branch.

After managing nine sacks over the first nine years of his NFL tenure, Lorenzo Alexander busted out with 12.5 quarterback takedowns in 2016, and now could be looking for a double-digit annual salary. James Harrison and Charles Johnson, meanwhile, look like good bets to return to Steelers and Panthers, respectively, but DeMarcus Ware could be something of a wild card — after missing 11 games in the past two seasons, does the 34-year-old have enough left in the tank? The same could be asked of Dwight Freeney, who at age-37 posted three sacks in a rotational role for the Falcons.

Interior defensive line:

Unlike the edge defender market, the 2017 cadre of interior defensive lineman shouldn’t be overly affected by the franchise tender. Head coach Ron Rivera recently confessed the Panthers will “probably” have to use the tag on Kawann Short, but the rest of the defensive tackles listed here should be able to hit the open market. Of the remaining defenders, Campbell is the best overall player, but given that he’s entering his age-31 season, he may not cost as much as Johnathan Hankins, Brandon Williams, and Dontari Poe.

Hankins is only 24 years old, and though the Giants are trying to retain him along with the rest of their defensive core, the 6’3″, 320-pound mauler should represent an attractive option to a number of clubs this offseason. Williams, too, offers a massive presence on the inside, while Poe could intrigue clubs based on his first-round pedigree and athleticism (though his play hasn’t always matched his potential). The Redskins’ Chris Baker is a solid, well-rounded defensive tackle, and could constitute a consolation prize for teams that miss out on their top targets.

The rest of the class offers an interesting mix of nose tackles (Bennie Logan), interior pass rushers (Nick Fairley, Earl Mitchell), and run stoppers (Karl Klug, Alan Branch), so clubs hoping to bolster their defensive line should find no shortage of options. Jared Odrick recently hit free agency after being released by the Jaguars, while Terrell McClain, Lawrence Guy, and Stacy McGee could be underrated finds for the right team. McClain, for what it’s worth, has already been linked to the Falcons.

Linebacker:

As usual, the non-rush linebacker market isn’t exactly overflowing with elite talent, and Dont’a Hightower stands as far-and-away the best player among this group. The Patriots already traded away several of their best defenders, including Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, an indication that they view Hightower as the best best to stick around long term. Hightower has communicated an openness to the franchise tag, but New England may go in another direction and offer him the transition tender instead.

Coming off a disappointing four-year run with the Titans in 2016, Zach Brown was last year forced to sign a one-year deal with the Bills for less than $1.5MM. That won’t be the case this spring, as Brown finally lived up to his second-round draft status by grading as one of the league’s best ‘backers. Brown especially excelled in pass coverage by using his speed to chase pass-catchers around the field, and in today’s NFL, that’s a skill-set that equals a hefty paycheck.

Kevin Minter has captained the Cardinals defense for the past two seasons, and has indicated he wouldn’t mind following Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to New York. Lawrence Timmons, meanwhile, is talking about a return to the Steelers, but general manager Kevin Colbert admitted an agreement between the two sides could be hard to reach. After years of playing behind Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, A.J. Klein is seeking a starting job, while Mike Morgan and Nick Bellore are more likely to be signed as primary special teamers.

Cornerback:

The Texans are unlikely to use the franchise tag on A.J. Bouye, a decision which sets up the young corner to be the single-most intriguing player on the 2017 free agent market. Only 25 years old, Bouye came out of nowhere to grade as PFF’s No. 3 corner in 2016. But the former undrafted free agent played on less than 900 defensive snaps over the first three years of his career, so he’s going to get paid on essentially one season of production. Bouye earned less than $3MM total during his time with Houston — his next contract could contain five times that amount…annually.

The cornerback market stands as one of the best free agent positional groups this offseason, as strong players permeate the list from top-to-bottom. Trumaine Johnson faces an outside shot of being franchise-tagged, but if he hits the open market, he’ll likely be aiming for a contract similar to that of his former Rams teammate Janoris Jenkins (five years, $62.5MM). Elsewhere among corners, Stephon Gilmore is a more high-profile name than Logan Ryan, but Ryan has simply played better over the last few campaigns, and offers a more dependable output.

Morris Claiborne is a former first-round pick but didn’t play like it until last season. Dre Kirkpatrick is a former first-round pick but has never played like it. The rest of the cornerback list has warts, as well: Prince Amukamara has dealt with injury, Kayvon Webster has only two career starts, Terence Newman is entering his age-39 season, and Sam Shields is coming off multiple concussions. All of these players offer upside, but they are all undoubtedly attached to risk.

Safety:

The Chiefs are working to re-sign Eric Berry, but if the two parties can’t agree to a new deal, Kansas City will likely employ the franchise tag for the second consecutive season. The only problem? Berry is adamant that he won’t play under the tag again, even though it would guarantee him a one-year salary of nearly $13MM. Realistically, Berry won’t have any choice but to sign the tender — given that he’s already 28, he can’t afford to sit out the season and risk hitting the open market at close to 30 years old.

Tony Jefferson, meanwhile, is expected to hit free agency, and could be the second-highest paid safety in this class behind Berry. Jefferson did reach the free agent market in 2016 as a restricted free agent, but he didn’t come with draft compensation attached. Any club could have signed him to an offer sheet, and if the Cardinals declined to match, would have acquired Jefferson scot-free. No team did so, which could be an indication that Jefferson’s 2016 market could be less robust than expected.

Also working against Jefferson is the fact that he plays close to the line of scrimmage, a role that’s relatively easy to fill, as Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus explained on a recent podcast. Duron Harmon, on the other hand, has demonstrated an ability to play deep safety, and thus could be in for a surprisingly high salary. The Cowboys’ Barry Church is “solid at everything, great at nothing,” tweets Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated, while Jonathan Cyprien and T.J. McDonald are primarily run defenders. Darius Butler may be the most fascinating case among this list of safeties, as the former corner should theoretically offer above-average coverage skills.

Kicker:

The Seahawks don’t figure to re-sign Steven Hauschka after bringing in fellow kicker Blair Walsh, but the longtime Seattle placekicker should be able to quickly find a new home in free agency. Nick Novak attempted the second-most field goals in the NFL last season after many Texans’ drives stalled, while Robbie Gould filled in admirably for the Giants after they released Josh Brown, converting of all ten of his field goal attempts.

Nick Folk was released as a cap casualty, and still has the talent to become another club’s kicker, while Mike Nugent — cut by the Bengals at midseason — may be nearing the end of the road after missing six extra points. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Phil Dawson come back for a fifth season with the 49ers, but Greg Zuerlein could move on from the Rams after the club threatened to bring in competition last offseason.

Punter:

Jeff Locke, 27, managed to pin opposing clubs inside the 20-yard line 34 times in 2016, good for fifth in the league. Britton Colquitt isn’t quite the punter that his brother, Dustin, is, but he found a new club soon after being cut last season and should do so again in 2017. Now 40 years old, Shane Lechler is a seven-time Pro Bowler, but the Texans lost 12.7 points of field position on punts last season, meaning Houston could go in another direction at punter.

2017 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 15th, 2017 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.

As our list of important dates for the 2017 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Wednesday, March 1st. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.

Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2017’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com recently projected the 2017 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $168MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:

Quarterback: $21.395MM
Running back: $12.377MM
Wide receiver: $15.826MM
Tight end: $9.894MM
Offensive line: $14.444MM
Defensive end: $16.955MM
Defensive tackle: $13.468MM
Linebacker: $14.754MM
Cornerback: $14.297MM
Safety: $10.961MM
Punter/kicker: $4.863MM

(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)

Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:

Virtual Locks:

Chandler Jones, DE, Cardinals: Maybe Jones should headline a category titled “Super Duper Virtual Locks.” In January, coach Bruce Arians said that the Cards would apply the franchise tag to Jones if they were unable to immediately lock him up to a long-term deal. Then, just this week, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill offered additional confirmation of that plan. The $16.955MM tag will be applied to Jones in the next couple of weeks and the two sides will then have until the summer to work out a long-term deal. The odds of a longer pact coming together seem pretty good, considering the Cardinals knew what they were getting themselves into when they traded for Jones last year.

Kawann Short, DT, Panthers: Panthers head coach Ron Rivera admits that Short will “probably” be tagged and, unlike ex-teammate Josh Norman, Short doesn’t have a problem with it. The 28-year-old was the third-best defensive tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus, and the Panthers will gladly pay him ~$13.5MM on a one-year deal. A multi-year agreement could require an average annual value of $17MM, so our early guess is that Short will wind up actually playing on the tender.

Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: We’ve known for a while now that the Steelers will use the franchise tag on Bell. For all of his off-the-field headaches, Bell still stands as one of the league’s most dynamic running backs and a one-year, $12.3MM deal would suit Pittsburgh just fine. Sometime after the tag is in place, we’re expecting the two sides to agree on a long-term deal. As I wrote in our most recent edition of the Free Agent Power Rankings, Bell will top LeSean McCoy‘s ~$8MM AAV and Doug Martin‘s $15MM in guarantees on a new multiyear pact. Of course, other factors such as cash flow will be pivotal in talks, particularly given the limited shelf life of running backs.
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Strong Candidates:

Eric Berry , S, Chiefs: Last offseason, everyone expected the Chiefs and Berry to quickly hammer out a multiyear contract. Ultimately, however, the July deadline came and went and he wound up playing on the franchise tag. This time around, Berry says there’s no way he’ll agree to the tag again. If the Chiefs and their franchise player can’t meet in the middle, things could get ugly this summer. A second tag would cost KC $12.967MM.

Dontari Poe, DT, Chiefs: Signing Berry to a long-term deal without tagging him would have the added benefit of allowing the team to use the tag on Poe. Berry doesn’t want the tag, but Poe would probably be open to it since the $13.468MM salary would more than double his 2016 income. Any way you slice it, the Chiefs are going to be tight against the cap, but they can carve out about $17MM by cutting Nick Foles and Jamaal Charles this offseason.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, Giants: After his fireworks accident two years ago, the Giants re-upped Pierre-Paul using the franchise tag. Despite the many doubters out there, JPP managed to perform in his injury-shortened season. The following year, JPP was handed yet another one-year deal from the Giants and, once again, he came through. He’s down one-and-a-half digits, but he also has one-and-a-half seasons of strong football after his mishap proving that he is an elite edge rusher. Pierre-Paul won’t want another prove-it deal, but the Giants may find that the one-year, ~$17MM tag is the most prudent move.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: The Redskins tagged Cousins at $19.95MM last season, so a repeat tag would cost them $23.94MM. If they go that route, they’re likely to use the non-exclusive tag on the QB, according to one Redskins beat writer. That means that Cousins could be stolen away by another club desperate for quarterback help (like the 49ers or Browns), but it would cost them two first-round picks. There has also been talk of a tag-and-trade scenario, but that sort of thing is more suited for the NBA.

Toss Up:

A.J. Bouye, CB, Texans: How exactly should the Texans approach negotiations with Bouye? A relative no-name for the first three years of his career, Bouye exploded in 2016 and wound up as a top cornerback in the NFL. A one-year, $14.297MM tag could keep Bouye away from free agency and give the Texans another year to better evaluate the former UDFA. Still, that would tie up a ton of cap room for a team that has multiple areas to address. It’s possible that the Texans could sell Bouye on playing it safe and taking a below-market multiyear deal with healthy guarantees in the first two seasons.

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns: Last month, one report indicated that the Browns are “very likely” to place the estimated $15.826MM franchise tag on Pryor. With the most cap space in the league, the Browns can easily afford to tag Pryor, but both sides would prefer a long-term deal. Recently, the Browns ramped up their efforts to get something done with the Ohio State product and agent Drew Rosenhaus. The Browns will tag Pryor if necessary, but we’re not sure it’ll get to that point.

Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams: Last summer, the Rams felt they could keep only one of their two standout cornerbacks and they went with Johnson over Janoris Jenkins. Johnson remained with the team under the franchise tag and had a good year, though not a great one like Jenkins had with the Giants. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com recently told us that he expects the Rams to do “whatever it takes” to keep Johnson in the fold, and that could include an expensive repeat tag. At the same time, the Rams would greatly prefer to work out a multi-year deal that doesn’t zap their cap in 2017.

Melvin Ingram, LB, Chargers: Ingram is No. 4 on our Free Agent Power Rankings, but he might be the best player with a realistic chance of hitting the open market. The Chargers have a lot of holes to fill as they gear up for their first season in L.A. and they might not be able to afford Ingram at a $14.754MM salary. We’re expecting this late bloomer to explore the waters of free agency and potentially swim elsewhere.

Long Shots:

Dont’a Hightower, LB, Patriots: Hightower is a heck of a player, but a one-year, $14.754MM deal is a whopping price to pay for an inside linebacker. Would the Patriots go that far to keep one of their defensive anchors? It’s possible, but it seems more likely that the two sides will shake hands on a long-term deal before the March 1 deadline.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears: When the Bears used the tag on Jeffery last year, the feeling was that he would have to turn in a full, productive season in order to get his big payday. Instead, the Bears saw another so-so season from their star wide receiver that only spanned 12 games thanks to his four-game PED ban. A second tag would cost $17.5MM and we can’t see the Bears going that route, unless they think they can swing a tag-and-trade.

Stephon Gilmore, CB, Bills: Gilmore has said that he doesn’t want to be hit with the franchise tag, so his placement in the long shot section should make him pretty happy. Here’s what didn’t make the Bills happy – a mediocre 2016 which made some worry that the former first-round pick has regressed. We’re not expecting the Bills to use the one-year,$14.297MM tender on Gilmore, but nothing can be ruled out since the front office always finds a way to surprise us in Buffalo.

Portions of this post have been modified from an earlier post by PFR editor emeritus Luke Adams.

Latest On Chiefs’ Talks With Berry, Poe

February 9th, 2017 at 8:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

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.”

Eric Berry: “Definitely” Won’t Play Under Tag

February 2nd, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Last offseason, the Chiefs were unable to strike a long-term deal with Eric Berry and they delayed things by using the franchise tag. The Chiefs could theoretically tag him again at an increased rate, but the safety says he won’t play along if that’s the route KC chooses. He says he’s “definitely not” playing on the franchise tender in 2017 (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).

Berry earned $10.86MM on the one-year tender last year, a surprising outcome for many in the football world who looked at a long-term accord as a sure thing. Berry also dragged his feet before putting pen-to-paper, giving the impression that things were a bit frosty between the two sides. In August, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher told PFR that he did not envision a multi-year deal for Berry and the Chiefs.

“It’s difficult to see that at this point. If the Chiefs weren’t willing to satisfy him with a long-term offer [in 2016], why would they do it [in 2017]?,” Teicher said.

This time around, it would cost the Chiefs $12.967MM to use the franchise tag for a second time. With limited cap space, the Chiefs might not be prepared to give Berry the type of accord he’s looking for. The Chiefs have the right to tag Berry twice, but Josh Norman managed to pout his way out of Carolina last year when faced with the prospect of a tag. Berry has a very different personality than Norman, but he seems equally unsatisfied with the specter of a franchise tender.

PFR’s 2017 Free Agent Power Rankings 2.0

January 31st, 2017 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

For 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams, the offseason is already underway. Here is the latest installment of our 2017 NFL Free Agent Power Rankings, which is comprised only of upcoming unrestricted free agents, and is ranked by projected guaranteed money. In parentheses next to each player, you’ll find their position in the early January edition of the rankings. For more, check out our master list of all 2017 free agents.

1. Kirk Cousins, QB (1): Cousins may not be the best player on this list, but he will come away with the most guaranteed money of any free agent this offseason. Quarterbacks are perpetually in high demand and short supply and as a result Cousins could become one of the league’s three highest paid signal callers. Because Washington has already used the franchise tag on Cousins, a repeat would cost them a whopping $23.94MM for 2017. The belief is that Cousins is seeking that $23.94MM number as an AAV goal. There has been talk of the Redskins shopping their star QB, but the team has since publicly stated its intention of locking him up to a long-term deal.

2. Chandler Jones, LB/DE (2): Jones has been an absolute stud ever since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2012. If we go by the numbers at Pro Football Focus, 2016 was actually Jones’ best year to date. This past season, he finished out with a strong 87.4 overall score, tying him for seventh amongst all edge rushers with Houston’s Whitney Mercilus. In the previous four seasons with New England, Jones averaged a 79.38 on PFF. Every team could use a sack machine like Jones, but coach Bruce Arians says the Cardinals will place the franchise tag on him if they cannot agree on a long-term deal. He’s technically ticketed for unrestricted free agency, but it doesn’t sound like Jones is going anywhere.

3. Kawann Short, DT (3): Unlike former teammate Josh Norman, Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short says he won’t have any problem signing the franchise tender if the team tags him. “I wouldn’t fight it or anything,” said Short in early January. In 2016, he turned in his fourth straight 16-game season and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ fourth-best interior defender. Short, 28 this week, also had six sacks on the year. I think the Panthers would be wise to hit Short with the ~$13.468MM franchise tag or sign him to a long-term deal, but there is at least a non-trivial chance of him reaching the open market.

West Notes: Dominik, Shanahan, Smith, Berry

January 29th, 2017 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before the mystery candidate for the 49ers’ GM job became revealed as off-the-board hire John Lynch, fellow TV analyst Mark Dominik received consideration for the GM job, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). However, the sides never scheduled an interview. But Lynch getting the job doesn’t necessarily mean a path from ESPN to the 49ers isn’t on the table for Dominik.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Lynch plans to bring in an experienced personnel man as his top lieutenant, and CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora wonders if Dominik — the Buccaneers’ scouting director during part of Lynch’s career in Tampa before becoming the team’s GM later — will land in San Francisco because that familiarity with Lynch (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the 49ers’ surprising hire, along with the latest from some other NFL teams as the Pro Bowl continues.

The six-year contract that’s expected to be offered to Kyle Shanahan is two years longer than the deals for both Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly, and one year longer than Jim Harbaugh, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes.
Alex Smith took from his exit interview with Andy Reid he will return for a fifth season as the Chiefs‘ starting quarterback. “We’ve talked a lot, and for sure, the talk was just the sense of urgency — [him saying] ‘let’s go get it, you and me,’ ” Smith said, via Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star. “For both of us, I think you realize the opportunities are less and less.” Reid said as much publicly after the Chiefs’ second-round loss to the Steelers, but calls for the Chiefs to replace the middling quarterback will certainly come from pundits. Smith will turn 33 in May. He has two more years left on his deal and will take up $16.9MM of Kansas City’s cap in 2017. That number rises to $20.9MM in 2018, and by ’18, the Chiefs would save $17MM by parting ways with Smith.
Add Chiefs DC Bob Sutton to the list of those wanting Eric Berry to return. Joining Reid on this topic, Sutton said from the Pro Bowl, “That’s out of my wheelhouse but I mean, you’d be crazy not to [want him back],” Sutton said, via Conor Orr of NFL.com. “I thought he had an MVP-type season. He was a dynamic force. I don’t know how much more you could do. This guy had an impact on our entire team. Not just our defense, but our entire team.” Berry is a UFA for the second straight year. It would cost the Chiefs $12.967MM to retain him on the franchise tag again. Kansas City stands to possess less than $5MM in cap space before roster cuts are made.
Chiefs co-player personnel director Brett Veach looms as a candidate to fill new Colts GM’s Chris Ballard‘s shoes, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets, pointing to his scouting acumen as a route up the ladder.