Eric Berry contract stalling with Chiefs is good news for the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons will watch Eric Berry’s situation very closely in the coming weeks

Rand Getlin, reporter for NFL Network tweeted yesterday that Eric Berry and the Kansas City Chiefs have made no significant progress in what would be a long-term extension with the only team he has ever played for.

If no deal is reached in the next two weeks and change, Berry will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent and will have free rein to sign with any team in the NFL. This should make Atlanta Falcons’ fans very, very happy.

Berry is a Georgia native and would instantly give the Falcons a cornerstone to build around on what will be a very different looking defense in 2016. While it’s still silly to think that Berry will hit the open market, the Falcons should be one of the most likely teams to pry him away from the Chiefs if given the opportunity.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed safety Malcolm Jenkins to a 4-year, $35 million contract extension which will likely set the price tag for Berry. If the Chiefs are to keep Berry, it will likely cost them upwards of $9 million per year. Seattle Seahawks’ safety Earl Thomas is the highest paid safety at $10 million per year so Berry will likely fall somewhere in that dollar range.

It’s still a major pipe dream to think that Berry will sign with his hometown Falcons, but his non-progressing contract talks with the Chiefs are definitely a positive when it comes to his future with the team.

With the recent release of veteran safety William Moore, the Falcons are in the market for a new safety and adding a guy like Berry would be a massive upgrade. Money is no issue for the Falcons. Their cap situation is looking very good heading into free agency and signing Berry to a max deal would be something they could do.

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Will this happen? It’s a 5 percent chance but the percentage has gone up in the past week or so if that counts for anything.