Will the Chiefs Trade L'Jarius Sneed After Franchise-Tagging Him? Three Trade Partners for Sneed

March 14, 2024

Will the Chiefs trade cornerback L'Jarius Sneed after franchise-tagging him? What teams would be a good fit for Sneed? Andrew Ball dives into the potential landing spots for Sneed.

Talented football players cost money and when a team is overloaded with talent, it can be difficult to retain all of the players.

That's the problem saddling the Kansas City Chiefs. While L'Jarius Sneed wasn't named an All-Pro like his cornerback counterpart Trent McDuffie, he arguably had just as good of a season, if not better. The latter is considerably younger and playing on his rookie contract, so he's a lock to return in 2024.

Sneed may not be donning red and yellow when the season kicks off. The Chiefs have placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed and he can play for Kansas City for just a shade under 20 million dollars. The more likely scenario is that the Chiefs trade the two-time Super Bowl champion to a new team that can deliver a long-term contract. The list of franchises eager to land one of the league's best coverage cornerbacks is lengthy, but a few stand out.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions were on the cusp of clinching the NFC Championship last season and their biggest weakness lay in the secondary. Detroit allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game during the regular season. They've made the first move in patching up the problem by resigning Emmanuel Moseley, who missed most of the 2023 season with a knee injury. It's a low-risk, high-ceiling reunion.

There has to be more help. Sneed would clearly be the top cornerback on the depth chart. It's one of the few missing pieces that the Lions need to fill and the time is now. The championship window won't be open for long. Surrendering a second- or third-round pick and forking up the money to sign Sneed to an extension would boost their odds of finally making a Super Bowl appearance.

This angle of @jay__sneed's forced fumble 😤 pic.twitter.com/4xWe6MtmFE

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 29, 2024

Jacksonville Jaguars

Speaking of teams that haven't played in the Super Bowl and are missing key pieces, the Jaguars need to target two areas this offseason: the offensive line and the secondary. Starting cornerback Darious Williams was a cap casualty. Whether he was still on the roster or not, an upgrade was needed.

The #Jaguars are planning to release CB Darious Williams, source said, in a move to create cap space. He had a $10.5M cap hit. He had 9 passes defended and four INTs last year.

This creates more room to franchise tag star pass-rusher Josh Allen.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2024

The Chiefs definitely won't trade within the division. Denver, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles (a team that could also really use an elite cornerback) are off the table. Will Kansas City expand their no-trade list to some of the other top teams within the conference? Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville gave the Chiefs a competitive game in the postseason two years ago. Sneed is clearly familiar with what Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs want to do on offense.

New England Patriots

How about a dark horse, non-contending team? For starters, their draft picks are better than what the contenders can offer. A second-round pick is nearly a first-rounder that the Chiefs can use to draft Sneed's replacement (or select a sorely needed wide receiver).

On paper, the trade would give New England one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. Second-year corner Christian Gonzalez showed his talents as a rising star in the league before a season-ending injury. It's a small sample size but the managerial staff in Foxborough love his potential. The rebuild can begin with a strong secondary, something defensive-minded head coach Jerod Mayo will love. The defense can keep them in games while the new quarterback gets acclimated to the NFL.

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