Lions, Dolphins Tabbed as Teams to Watch for KC Chiefs L'Jarius Sneed Trade
To say the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason is entering a critical stretch would be spot-on.
Not only is March 5 the deadline for the club to franchise tag cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, but there's a pseudo-deadline of March 11 — the start of the legal tampering period — to get something ironed out with defensive tackle Chris Jones. Arriving at a resolution with one player could impact timing with the other.
For Kansas City, Sneed may be the first one to see some sort of motion. Reports on Sunday indicated that the franchise tag was coming, which has been expected since early last week. With that being the case, the possibility for a tag-and-trade scenario remains wide open as both sides primarily eye a long-term deal. Should the trade come into play, there appear to be suitors out there.
Last week, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reported that six teams have expressed interest in Sneed. Two, in particular, stand out to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. In his article detailing the latest buzz from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with Dan Graziano, Fowler singled out the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins as teams to watch.
Cornerback was a popular position of discussion in Indy, most notably for the trade market. We know the Chiefs are working on a potential tag-and-trade with L'Jarius Sneed, and multiple teams are believed to be in the mix there. The word out of Indy is that Detroit is pretty set on adding a high-end corner, so the Lions are one to watch. Miami is worth keeping an eye on, too.
One of these destinations would make a lot more sense than the other. First and foremost, the Lions are outside of the AFC and have a very clear need at cornerback. Additionally, their salary cap situation is quite impressive (estimated at over $50 million in available spending) post-Combine. Lastly, general manager Brad Holmes has a solid array of draft picks to use in a potential trade. On Day Two of the 2024 NFL Draft, Detroit has three combined selections in round two (61 overall) and round three (Nos. 73 and 92).
Miami, while possible, doesn't seem nearly as likely. Aside from being an intraconference opponent, the Dolphins are well over the 2024 salary cap line. While there are avenues to make enough room for a Sneed trade and presumed extension, it'd take some financial gymnastics and further limit their flexibility in free agency. Regarding relevant draft capital, general manager Chris Grier has No. 55 overall but isn't slated to pick again until the fifth round.
At the end of the day, the Chiefs still have some work to do with Sneed's camp before reaching an endgame. For a player who recently turned 27 and is in the prime of his career, it's no secret that he'll command a nice salary on a multiyear contract. Although Kansas City would love to be the squad to pay it, things don't always work out that way. If a trade is the outcome, could it stem from one of the aforementioned teams? Don't rule it out.
