Getty Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.
The Indianapolis Colts will likely address their cornerback room in some way during free agency, as it is one of their top needs heading into the offseason. That’s why CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin has Super Bowl champion and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed signing with Indy in his free agency mock draft.
“With Chris Jones set to cost the Chiefs a pretty penny, Sneed figures to sneak onto the market,” Benjamin wrote on February 26. “The Colts, meanwhile, are eager to inject some proven playmaking into their secondary, making him their No. 1 cover man.”
Sneed, 27, entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020.
Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 192 pounds, Sneed has developed into a do-it-all player for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in Kansas City. He can cover perimeter receivers, slide down into the slot, and is one of the best blitzing cornerbacks in the league.
During the 2023 season, Sneed was tasked with shadowing some of the NFL’s best receivers and succeeded in doing so. He kept Tyreek Hill (8-62 in Week 9, 5-62-1 in the AFC Wild-Card Round), Justin Jefferson (3-28 in Week 5), A.J. Brown (1-8 in Week 10), and Brandon Aiyuk (3-49 in the 2024 Super Bowl) in check during their respective matchups.
Despite being snubbed as an All-Pro last season, Sneed is an All-Pro caliber player, which is why he is set to cash in this offseason. According to Spotrac’s calculated market value, Sneed is worth a four-year, $65 million contract.
Should Colts Pursue L’Jarius Sneed in Free Agency?
Similar to the Chiefs, the Colts have a strong history of drafting and developing cornerbacks through the draft. However, given the string of bad luck the Colts had among their CBs during the 2023 season for various reasons, it would be wise for Indy to test out the free agent market this offseason in hopes of solidifying the top of the CB depth chart.
As it currently stands, the Colts have $72 million in cap space heading into free agency, per Over The Cap. General manager Chris Ballard is known to be frugal with Indy’s spending money, but now that the team has a surefire franchise quarterback under center in Anthony Richardson, it’s time for Ballard to empty the bank and build a championship roster around the Colts’ second-year QB.
That’s why Sneed, who would undoubtedly provide a big upgrade to Indy’s secondary and would also bring a championship pedigree with him, would be a great addition for the Colts.
X/Twitter Discusses State of the Colts
Users on X, formerly Twitter, discussed the state of the Colts heading into the 2024 offseason.
“The #Colts sit with the 6th most cap space heading into free agency, per Over the Cap. QB on a rookie deal, team outperformed expectations last season, the time is here and now to make the moves necessary to make this team into a Super Bowl contender,” Colts Coverage wrote. “There’s no more excuses for moves that don’t move the needle. Get it done Ballard.”
“#Colts have a ton of players returning from injury! Most notably Anthony Richardson, but if others like Jelani Woods, Ashton Dulin, and most of last year’s draft class can stay healthy, then this team will be significantly improved before we even add in the draft and free agency!” another user wrote.