Getty Chiefs star L'Jarius Sneed at Arrowhead Stadium on August 25, 2022.
The Detroit Lions made two big acquisitions in their secondary last offseason, with both failing to make much of an impact as both players suffered long-term injuries.
But the Lions could try again this offseason, with an insider suggesting they make a run at Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Mike Valenti, host on 97.1 The Ticket, said he believes the Lions have the cap space and the draft picks needed to add Sneed, which he sees as the kind of big move that a Super Bowl contender needs to make.
Lions Should ‘Pick Up the Phone’
Valenti pushed back against the notion that the Lions will have a quiet offseason, saying he believes they can add a player like Sneed and still have room to re-sign their homegrown stars when the time comes.
“Don’t play this game with me, that we are somehow poor or if we paid L’Jarius Sneed we can not function or there wouldn’t be money for Aidan [Hutchinson], or what about Amon-Ra [St. Brown],” Valenti said. “You’re in a beautiful cap situation. So I want you to remind me again, here, talk into my good ear. Tell me why I shouldn’t want the Lions to pick up the phone, offer pick 61 and offer five (years) at $95 (million total) for L’Jarius Sneed. Tell me why.”
L’Jarius Sneed’s TDs allowed in coverage (regular season)
2022 season: 5
2023 season: 0
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The Lions did make some high-profile additions to their secondary last offseason, signing cornerback Emmanuel Moseley and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. But the pair played a combined four games as they were each hit with major injuries.
Valenti added that teams in Detroit’s situation — coming just short of the Super Bowl after blowing a 17-point lead in the NFC Championship game — need to make more bold moves to get over the hump.
“What the hell is this whole wait-and-see thing? That’s not why we like sports. You know this show led the charge. You win the division, you win the playoff game,” Valenti explained. “I also told you you probably weren’t gonna like what came out of the speakers after the loss to San Francisco, which is the following. We are in a Super Bowl window, which means you’ve got to do Super Bowl things.”
L’Jarius Sneed Wants Out of Kansas City
Sneed has been a cornerstone of Kansas City’s defense, making 303 total tackles with 10 interceptions in his four seasons with the Chiefs. But the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Chiefs granted the cornerback permission to seek a trade.
The Chiefs could use their franchise tag on Sneed before the March 5 deadline and then seek a trade, the NFL Network noted. The report added that the Chiefs would have some time to convince Sneed to stay, as they would have until mid-July to either sign an extension or trade him should they tag the cornerback.
“Teams are sure to come calling, but they’ll have to compete with the K.C.’s negotiating power and the lure of sticking it out with the team that drafted him to make a run at a Super Bowl three-peat,” the report noted.