The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have two major priorities in free agency: Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed. Both players were invaluable to Kansas City’s latest championship, as the team became the first unit in NFL history to hold 20 opponents to 25 or fewer points.
In today’s pass-heavy NFL, finding players who can slow down opposing passing attacks is crucial to building a sustained winner. Jones can do this by collapsing the pocket and getting after the quarterback, while Sneed can shadow and take away an opponent’s top receiver. With both players set to hit free agency, can the Chiefs afford to bring back Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed?
Only time will tell, but L’Jarius Sneed hopes everyone will return in free agency. However, while on Up & Adams, the cornerback didn’t seem sold on a potential reunion.
“I hope so, I hope so. They can’t keep both of us. Hopefully they got enough for both of us. But you know, they gonna make it happen. I hope so.”
Right off the bat, it appears as though L’Jarius Sneed doesn’t believe the team has the resources to sign him and Jones, although he’s hoping to be wrong. It’s also safe to assume that Sneed will not take a hometown discount, later saying that “you never know how it goes” in contract negotiations. When asked what he wanted to say to General Manager Brett Veach, he gave a straightforward answer.
"Pay me. Pay. Me."
L'Jarius Sneed's message to Chiefs GM Brett Veach 🔊@jay__sneed @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/gO6h5tP6eH
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 15, 2024
L’Jarius Sneed: “You Never Know How It Goes” In Free Agency
The entire purpose of the salary cap is to create parity so teams can’t hoard all their best players. If this were the 1970’s, the Chiefs would find a way to keep Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed from reaching free agency. However, in today’s day and age, it’s going to be hard to keep the band together.
As of this posting, Kansas City currently has $23.78 million in available cap space. This sounds like a lot, but Jones and Sneed would eat into that considerably if both players were re-signed to market-level deals. If one receives the franchise tag, that might put them over the salary cap.
Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed are both great players, but signing both means that the Chiefs wouldn’t be able to be active in free agency. This team still needs another wide receiver and some depth at tackle, and they won’t be able to get that with Jones and Sneed on big-money deals.
Barring something unexpected, the Chiefs will probably have to let one of Chris Jones or L’Jarius Sneed hit free agency. While Jones is the older player, he’s also the better one, which means that Sneed has probably played his last snap in Kansas City. Fortunately for the cornerback, several teams will be more than willing to break the bank for his services.
Possible Team Fits
Detroit Lions
After spending 2023 as the lovable underdogs, the Detroit Lions officially have a target on their back. The team came this close to the Super Bowl last year, but if they want to finally make it to the big show, they’ll need to improve the defense. Signing L’Jarius Sneed in free agency would shore up their biggest weakness, and with $48.12 million in cap space, they should be able to easily come to an agreement.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders couldn’t stop anything on the defensive side of the ball last year. While the offense wasn’t great, the defense was the primary reason the team finished with the second-worst record in the game. First-year head coach Dan Quinn knows how important a good cornerback can be for a defense, and with the most cap space in the league, he should be able to easily sign L’Jarius Sneed in free agency and still address the pass rush with someone like Jadeveon Clowney.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are going to have a fascinating offense. After finishing with the best regular season record in the league, the team is set to lose several key free agents. Rather than trying to replace multiple players in free agency, perhaps the team could invest in someone like L’Jarius Sneed to shore up the secondary. The pass rush won’t be as important if coverage improves, so the team could lose Clowney and Kyle Van Noy without suffering too much.
New England Patriots
First-round pick Christian Gonzalez looked like a future All-Pro during the first month of the 2023 season. While injuries prematurely ended his rookie season, he should be back to full health in 2024. The Patriots love man coverage more than arguably any other team, and that’s not likely to change under Jerod Mayo. Signing a great cornerback like L’Jarius Sneed in free agency will once again give New England one of the best defenses in the game, and it might be enough to compensate for what will likely be a lackluster offense.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have too much talent to be this bad on defense. Head coach Jim Harbaugh will likely clear out some big-name cap casualties in the coming days, leaving the team with enough money to go after L’Jarius Sneed in free agency. Not only will this shore up their biggest need on defense, but it will also make the division rival Chiefs a little bit weaker.
