Source: Berry to report
All-Pro safety Eric Berry plans to report to the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow, giving him two weeks and one preseason game to prepare for the start of the regular season. A person familiar with his plans told The Associated Press that Berry will join the team after its preseason game tonight in Chicago. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss Berry’s plans publicly.
Berry was given the franchise tag early in the offseason but has not signed the deal, which means he could skip all of training camp without being fined. Once he signs the one-year contract, he will make just over $10.8 million, making him the league’s highest-paid safety.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager John
Dorsey have said all along they expect Berry to report ahead of the regular season, but it was never clear when that might happen.
Kansas City plays its first regular-season game Sept. 11 against San Diego.
“I think it’s important to see what kind of shape he is in and then gradually bring him back into the football speed of things,” Reid said Tuesday, when asked what Berry will need to do to get up to speed. “I don’t think it’s the end of the world if he doesn’t play in the last preseason game.
“The most important thing is to put eyes on him and see what kind of shape he is in,” Reid said, “so we don’t put him at risk out there.”
The Chiefs had hoped to sign Berry to a long-term deal in the offseason, but the two sides were never close to reaching an agreement by the July 15 deadline. The Chiefs remain optimistic they can sign him after this season, though Berry will demand a premium on the free agent market.
It was somewhat surprising that the sides were so far apart, given the goodwill between them.
The Chiefs stood by Berry when he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and Dorsey and others in the front office regularly visited him in Atlanta during treatment. Meanwhile, Berry has been steadfast in his love for the Chiefs, who made him a first-round pick out of Tennessee.
“It’s a weird dynamic that you are juggling with finances and playing,” Reid said earlier in camp, “but I’ve seen it before, guys normally come in and they just go. When it’s time to play, they just play. They put the business side aside and they get after it.”
Berry played in every game last season, less than a year after his cancer diagnosis. He made 55 tackles, had a pair of interceptions and resumed his role as the heart and soul of the defense.
“We’re missing him right now — we want him back ASAP,” cornerback Marcus
Peters said, “but we can’t do anything about it, but we for sure miss him.” Falcons rookie hurt
Atlanta Falcons rookie strong safety Keanu Neal, the team’s first-round pick and a projected starter, will miss the beginning of the season with a knee injury.
Neal will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday and is expected to miss three to four weeks, according to the Falcons. Coach
Dan Quinn said he is encouraged Neal avoided a more serious injury that could have kept him out longer.
“Hopefully it’s a shorterterm injury where we’re looking at two and hopefully the worst would be three games,” Quinn said, adding that he knows Neal will work for a quick return because “he’s kind of just built that way.”
Wide receiver Julio Jones is expected to be limited in practice after leaving Thursday night’s game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Cousins finds groove
Kirk Cousins found a groove and undrafted rookie running back Robert Kelley made the most of his chance and the Washington Redskins beat the Buffalo Bills, 21-16, in Landover, Md.
With the Bills (1-2) resting almost their entire starting defense, Cousins overcame a rough start to finish 12-of-23 for 188 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
Despite coming mostly against Buffalo’s secondand third-stringers, it was an important recovery for Cousins, who had thrown only five passes in the preseason and didn’t play last week in an effort to test backup Colt McCoy.
Kelley ran for 51 yards on 12 carries in a personal showcase with Matt Jones and Chris Thompson out and after seventh-round pick
Keith Marshall sprained his left elbow on his only carry of the game. Bills starting quarterback
Tyrod Taylor played only two series, by coach Rex Ryan’s design, going 2-of-5 for 11 yards before being replaced by E.J. Manuel. …
Josh Gordon showed why the Cleveland Browns are so happy to have him back on the field.
The talented receiver with a history of suspensions for drug violations caught everything thrown his way in his preseason debut, scoring on a 43-yard reception and also hauling in another pass from Robert Griffin III for a 44-yard gain that led to a first-quarter field goal in a 30-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla.
Jameis Winston threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns in one half of work for the Bucs, who achieved an objective of starting faster on offense than they did the previous two weeks.
Griffin completed 8-of-14 passes for 119 yards, one TD and no interceptions before being replaced by Josh Mc
Cown at the start of the third quarter.