Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images L'Jarius Sneed is going to be one of the most coveted defenders when NFL free agency begins. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles, and general manager Howie Roseman, have never been shy about spending big to fill big holes on the roster, and this offseason might not be any different.
After watching the secondary regress dramatically over the second half of the 2023 season, including a postseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that was marred by poor tackling in the secondary, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Roseman take some big swings to overhaul Philadelphia’s cornerback room.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed could be a name to watch for the Eagles in the early days of free agency, when the new league year begins on March 13.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen lists Sneed to the Eagles as his top offseason move he wants to see happen in the coming weeks.
“L’Jarius Sneed signs with the Eagles,” Bowen writes for ESPN. “Upgrading the cornerback position is an offseason priority in Philadelphia. With Sneed, the Eagles land one of the top veteran free agents, who has the coverage skills and ability to produce in Vic Fangio’s system.”
Sneed capped his 2023 campaign by locking down the 49ers’ prolific receiving corps and posting two tackles in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory.
Expected to be one of the most coveted free agents on the market, Sneed held opposing quarterbacks to a meager 55.9 passer rating when targeting him as receivers averaged only 9.7 yards per reception, according to Pro Football Focus.
Can the Eagles Afford to Sign L’Jarius Sneed?
Roseman is nothing if not aggressive, both in-season and when it comes to retooling the roster on the fly during the offseason.
In recent years, the Eagles have added star wide receiver A.J. Brown in a draft weekend trade with the Tennessee Titans, dropped veteran cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay into the secondary, swapped draft picks for running back D’Andre Swift, signed veterans such as Ndamukong Suh, Julio Jones, and others, to name a few of Roseman’s bold moves the past several seasons.
Adding Sneed would be true to form, and the Eagles are among the teams with the spending flexibility to make a marquee addition possible.
As free agency nears, the Eagles are projected to have just over $19.92 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap. That’s before cap-saving moves such as restructuring the contracts of high-priced veterans or clearing cap space by releasing underperforming players such as safety Kevin Byard.
What is Sneed’s Market Value?
The Chiefs are going to have a decision to make.
It could prove difficult for general manager Brett Veach and the Chiefs to re-sign both All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones, and Sneed.
Even Sneed isn’t convinced he’ll be back in Kansas City.
“I hope I’m here but you never know how it’s gonna go … ” Sneed said, during an appearance on Up and Adams. “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.”
If Sneed winds up hitting free agency, Spotrac projects the 27-year-old could command a four-year contract worth upwards of $65 million, over four seasons, averaging $16.3 AAV. That contract would make Sneed the 10th-highest-paid cornerback in the league.
Playing a premium position, Sneed has shown his value through the first four seasons of his career, posting 303 total tackles with 10 interceptions and 6.5 sacks.