2016 NFL Free Agency: 5 teams that should sign Eric Berry

Would the Kansas City Chiefs let their start free safety Eric Berry walk after another stellar season at Arrowhead Stadium? Though Kansas City doesn’t have a ton of cap space at roughly $32 million, expect Berry to re-sign with the Chiefs this offseason, as it is his best opportunity to play for a Super Bowl-caliber team while he is still in his prime.

Other teams may be able to offer Berry more money, but his best chance to hoist a Lombardi Trophy before he turns 30 and exits his prime is with the Chiefs. Now that the Chiefs have gotten that crucial AFC Playoff win that had evaded them since 1993 with their shutout of the Houston Texans in the 2015 AFC Wild Card round, it’s full steam ahead for head coach Andy Reid’s Chiefs.

There are no guarantees that the Denver Broncos are going to field a contending team in 2016 after winning Super Bowl 50. The Oakland Raiders are improving, but don’t seem like anything more than a AFC Wild Card team entering the second year of the Jack Del Rio era in Northern California. The San Diego Chargers are probably going to struggle mightily again in 2016.

Essentially, Berry would be wise to stay with the Chiefs in 2016 if he wants to win in the immediate future. Kansas City should again be a top five team in the AFC next year. With the AFC South always down, the AFC West in a bit of transition, and the AFC North always ultra-competitive, the Chiefs along with the AFC East juggernaut are the two most likely teams to get back into the AFC Playoffs again in 2016.

It won’t exactly be a hometown discount, but if the Hunt Family is willing to pay Berry more money in an incentive-laden deal, he should intelligently re-up with the Chiefs heading into 2016. If he can comeback and play at an elite level after beating cancer, he can do anything. Berry is the most mentally tough player in the NFL and Kansas City would be foolish to let him play for anybody else while he is still in his prime as a defensive back.