Kansas City Chiefs Trying to Keep Defense Intact

In order to build on their AFC West division title in 2016 the defense must improve. But a defense that loses two stars on it can’t improve. So the team is working hard to keep Eric Berry and Dontari Poe before free agency.

The Kansas City Chiefs used the franchise tag when they couldn’t agree with Eric Berry in 2016. That lead to Berry starting off negotiations this offseason in a foul mood. He even thought of sitting the 2017 season out if the Chiefs were to tag him again.

At no point this offseason did he ever seem enthused about how his negotiations with the Chiefs would go. That is until Monday, when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Chiefs are negotiating to make Berry the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

Rapoport also said that both sides are working hard to reach a deal before Wednesday’s deadline to tag players. The Chiefs should have more incentive to get this deal done than anyone. Signing Berry may not be two for the price of one but it is two for one.

Star defensive tackle Dontari Poe is also due to become a free agent this March. So signing Berry opens up the franchise tag so they can use it on Poe instead of Berry. Berry is obviously the better of the two stars so getting him done is of the highest priority.

He is a big part of why the Chiefs have one of the better pass defenses in the NFL today. But Poe’s value to the team is also very important as his push on the interior helps his outside guys gets sacks. Poe is also a plus run defender but the team wasn’t good against it last year.

So losing Poe would make the team even worse against the run.

Stay tuned Chiefs fans, it looks like you’re going to get your guys back!