Getty The Kansas City Chiefs could still trade cornerback L'Jarius Sneed after applying the franchise tag.
The Kansas City Chiefs placed the franchise tag on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed ahead of the official March 5 deadline.
Despite that, trade rumors have swirled surrounding Sneed — and NFL insider Ari Meirov has reported that the “belief is that” the Chiefs would like a second-round selection for the cornerback. This bit of information sparked a discussion on potential trade suitors for Sneed between Meirov and Pro Football Focus’ lead analyst Sam Monson, via The 33rd Team.
“This is [a situation] where they tried to talk about an extension in Indianapolis at the combine, didn’t go anywhere,” Meirov outlined. “[KC general manager] Brett Veach and their front office basically told [Sneed’s] agent — hey, you got permission to seek a trade, go check out what’s out there.”
He then posed the question to Monson, who might be willing to send a 2024 second rounder for Sneed?
“For a second-round pick? I think there’s several teams in the NFL that should be all over that as a deal,” Monson replied. “Sneed has shown he’s a top-tier corner, he can play inside and outside, he’s got the flexibility, he can play man and zone coverage. And a team that jumps out to me as someone that could absolutely make use of that [is] the Detroit Lions.”
The Chiefs would get pick No. 61 from Detroit in this scenario.
“If they could have a big investment at a position of high value, that would absolutely move the needle in terms of winning and losing games,” Monson reasoned, calling this deal a “no-brainer” for the Lions. “L’Jarius Sneed can be a foundational piece for this Detroit Lions franchise as they go forward and continue sustained success.”
In response, Meirov revealed that Detroit and the Tennessee Titans were the two teams that “were mentioned” to him personally.
NFL Reporter States ‘Multiple Teams Interested’ in Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed via Trade
On the evening of March 5, USA Today insider Tyler Dragon reported that “multiple teams” are interested in Sneed via trade.
“As expected, the Kansas City Chiefs officially placed the franchise tag on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed,” Dragon recapped. “Sneed still has permission to seek a trade despite the designation.”
“A person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports that the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars have expressed interest in the Chiefs corner,” the media member went on. “The person told USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.”
Once again, the Lions and Titans stand out as two franchises that continue to be mentioned as a potential destination for Sneed.
“Both sides have until mid-July to finalize a long-term extension or until the NFL’s trade deadline to part ways via trade,” Dragon informed.
Ari Meirov Explains Chiefs’ Reasons for Wanting to Trade L’Jarius Sneed
During the video spot with Monson, Meirov explained that the Chiefs’ thought process is that they can either trade Sneed for an immediate second rounder now or get a future compensatory third rounder if they lose him in free agency next offseason.
Obviously, they’d prefer to flip Sneed now while they can still get maximum value in return.
Kansas City also seems open to extending the veteran cornerback, however, the two sides appear to be very far apart on the contract — similar to the Tyreek Hill split in 2022. That makes his eventual departure “likely” according to Meirov.
In terms of possible return — the worse the franchise, the better the trade partner for KC.
While the Lions would net a low second rounder like pick No. 61, a team like the Patriots or Titans could theoretically offer selections as high as No. 34 or No. 38 in round two — respectively. Of course, it’s unclear if any NFL team has actually offered the Chiefs second-round value for Sneed at this time.