5-Time Pro Bowler Eric Berry To Visit Cowboys

[Smitty]

This needs it's own thread.

.................................................. ..

David Helman DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer

FRISCO, Texas – The second week of free agency looks to be more eventful than the first for the Cowboys.Five days after he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs, Eric Berry is expected to visit with the Cowboys on Tuesday. The five-time Pro Bowler is widely regarded as the best available free agent safety – a position of need on this Cowboys roster.

Berry is looking for his second NFL team after an amazing career in Kansas City. The former top 10 draft pick is talented, to be sure. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, and he has been a three-time All-Pro. He’s credited with 51 pass breakups and 14 career interceptions, including four picks during the 2016 season.

His story took an even more inspirational turn in 2014, however, as he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma and missed 10 games during his recovery. Berry beat the illness just nine months later and was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year for 2015, racking up 61 tackles and two interceptions.

Injuries have unfortunately hindered Berry’s last two seasons, ultimately leading to his release last week. He ruptured his Achilles during the 2017 season opener and miss the remainder of the season, and he missed 13 games last year while battling a heel injury.

With 87 career starts and six playoff appearances, Berry would easily become the most experienced safety on the Cowboys’ roster.

 

[Smitty]

Safety Eric Berry begins free-agent tour with Cowboys looking for top deal


A tad late and likely unexpected, Eric Berry’s free agent tour begins Tuesday with the Dallas Cowboys. The key word in that development: Tour.

This isn’t expected to be Berry’s only free agent visit, unless Dallas is offering a respectable top end safety deal out of the gate.

A source familiar with the mutual interest between Dallas and Berry said Tuesday’s visit will be more of a feeling out process between the two sides, centered largely on Berry’s health and potential fit with the team. If both sides are happy with the results, talks are expected to advance into potential financial terms. But one thing is clear already after Berry was released by the Kansas City Chiefs last week: It’s too early to talk about the five-time Pro Bowler being a “bargain” signing in free agency. Especially with Dallas being his first visit and at least 10 teams still having more than $30 million in functional salary-cap space to work with.

4 safeties set ceiling on free-agent market

Although his free agency just began, Berry is believed to be looking for a team that offers him the best hybrid opportunity of winning while getting paid near the top end of the safety table. That’s a key reality, considering the safety market has been significantly raised this offseason by a trio of deals for Landon Collins (six years, $84 million), Earl Thomas (four years, $55 million), Tyrann Mathieu (three years, $42 million) and Lamarcus Joyner (four years, $42 million). The major hindrance for Berry is the signing of that foursome – along with a multitude of other safeties – has significantly narrowed the free agent demand at the position.

Ultimately, that could dramatically impact the type of contract Berry is offered – not to mention the actual number of free agent visits available to him. While a one-year “prove it” deal appears to be very unlikely, it’s not out of the question until the rest of his market solidifies.

How strong is Cowboys’ shot of landing Berry?

In terms of where that market could go: There is a key comparison in that previous group of safeties that Cowboys fans should keep their eyes on. That would be Thomas, who was drafted the same year as Berry (2010) and will also be (like Berry) 30 when next season begins. After the Collins and Mathieu deals, Thomas landed his big contract with the Baltimore Ravens, despite a variety of health issues that impacted his past three seasons. Like Berry, Thomas missed the majority of last season, breaking his leg in a Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

While the Cowboys might balk at the comparison between Berry and Thomas at the negotiating table, they can expect that general parallel to be drawn. It doesn’t mean Berry is necessarily expecting to land Thomas money, but he’s not going to come cheaply by any means, either. And that might be precisely why he’s expected to shop around before signing his next deal.

The good news for Cowboys fans is Dallas is expected to get a good look at Berry’s health, which is believed to be trending up after he finished last season with Kansas City and learned he wouldn’t need surgery to square away a bothersome heel. At the time of his release by the Chiefs, Berry was preparing to take part in all offseason activities and be 100 percent by the start of training camp.

 

[boozeman]

This needs it's own thread.

Why?

So we can pretend the Cowboys are serious enough to make it happen?

 

[Genghis Khan]

Berry wants a top deal? Fuck that.

 

[Simpleton]

He's played in about 4 games the last two seasons, if he wants a "top" deal he can go right ahead and try to find it elsewhere. I'd be fine giving him a 2 year deal worth around 6-8 per year, with incentives of course since that's Stephen's modus operandi, but if he's looking for 10+ good luck finding that in Oakland or where ever.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

He's played in about 4 games the last two seasons, if he wants a "top" deal he can go right ahead and try to find it elsewhere. I'd be fine giving him a 2 year deal worth around 6-8 per year, with incentives of course since that's Stephen's modus operandi, but if he's looking for 10+ good luck finding that in Oakland or where ever.

Yeah I don't think Berry is going going to get a top deal. One he has a serious injury history and no one knows what kind of player he really still is. And the second problem is that all of the safety needy teams have gone out and signed their safeties. So the market for him is going to be much more limited. But who knows, that stuff is agent talk sometimes. I think he is going to get a prove it deal. Either in Dallas or somewhere else.

 

[boozeman]

 

[Smitty]

^ timestamped, old man.

 

[p1_]

Why?

So we can pretend the Cowboys are serious enough to make it happen?

just like ET to Dallas.

 

[GForce78NJ]

literally 0% chance this happens. Our deal is going to be 6-8 for 4 years and he will get 10 million from someone

 

[boozeman]

 

[Rev]

But It was suppose to have been serious....

 

[boozeman]

But It was suppose to have been serious....

Maybe it was. But you know they wanted to put him through the ringer physically. I am also assuming they want extensive tests done, those can't be completed instantly.

At any rate, a player of Berry's caliber would be stupid to take the first offer on his first visit from one of the cheapest clubs in the NFL.

 

[Simpleton]

Meh, his asking price will drop once he makes a few more visits and at this point I'm more concerned with Quinn anyway. Despite how much everybody hates Heath we did manage to have a very good defense with him playing like 98% of the snaps, he's a limited player but we know he's at least functional. DE on the other hand is a different story with Gregory seemingly done, Taco injured and mentally weak, and Lawrence's contract situation. I'm not even going to include Crawford since he's basically just a DE in base packages.