Chiefs plan to franchise tag L’Jarius Sneed unless long-term deal is reached: sources | Top Vip News

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INDIANAPOLIS – Their first roster move this offseason, as back-to-back champions, is to use perhaps the most unpopular mechanism in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement: the franchise tag.

The Kansas City Chiefs have informed cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, one of the team’s top defenders, that they will use their franchise tag on him if they cannot reach a long-term deal, according to league sources. The expected move will prevent Sneed from becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time, a chance for him to see what his maximum earning potential is as a 27-year-old cornerback who last season was the leading force of the Chiefs’ impressive secondary. .

Sneed knows he is the Chiefs’ most exciting potential free agent. Sneed, a former fourth-round pick, had the best season of his career. In the regular season, he finished with two interceptions, 14 pass deflections and did not allow a touchdown while in coverage. The Chiefs also know it will be easier to retain Sneed (or trade him) by using the franchise tag on him instead of pass rusher Chris Jones, the team’s best defender.

“It’s certainly something that’s a possibility,” general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday at the NFL combine. “The Chris Jones label is huge. “We’ll work on that and try to see if we can get these two guys done.”

When the Chiefs place the franchise tag on Sneed, before the March 5 deadline at 3 p.m. CT, he will be set to play the 2024 season on a one-year salary of $19.8 million, unless he and the team agree to an extension before the league deadline. July deadline for franchise-tagged players. The team could also trade Sneed before the draft.

Veach and Chris Shea, the Chiefs’ vice president of football operations, met in person Tuesday afternoon with Sneed’s agent, Michael Huyghue.

Sneed has expressed several times over the past two years his desire to continue playing for the Chiefs. He wants a three- or four-year deal, according to a league source. If a deal is not reached before the draft, the team is comfortable with consummating a trade, according to league sources. The Chiefs will also allow Sneed to contact teams interested in acquiring him. If Sneed is traded, he would expect to sign a multi-year deal with his new team.

Earlier this month, after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, Sneed appeared on “Up & Adams” with host Kay Adams, expressing a clear message for Veach.

“Man, pay me,” Sneed said, smiling, doing his best Rod Tidwell impression from the movie “Jerry Maguire.” Sneed repeated himself: “Pay me! Pay! Me!”

In 2019, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Dee Ford and then traded him to the 49ers for a second-round pick. Once he arrived in San Francisco, Ford signed a five-year contract worth $85.5 million. If the Chiefs were to enter into advanced trade negotiations for Sneed, they would be looking at at least a second-round pick.

The Chiefs could let Sneed go because of his success in identifying talented cornerbacks and drafting them. Without Sneed, the Chiefs would still have three starting-caliber players: Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson.

“You have to try to do it within the framework of this whole disgusting (salary) cap to be able to do it,” coach Andy Reid said of Sneed. “But you have certain limits (of cash) that you can go to and still maintain a team. That is simply the reality. It’s not about whether you want to get rid of a guy here or there. “You would love to stay with everyone.”

One problem for the Chiefs is that they used the franchise tag on the 29-year-old Jones in 2020, a decision that led to a four-year contract extension. If the Chiefs, who entered Tuesday with $16.9 million available in cap space, according to Over the Cap, tag Jones again, he would earn a one-year salary of $32.16 million, the most expensive non-quarterback franchise tag in history of the NFL. .

“Every offseason is a series of contingency plans,” Veach said. “Usually, things never go exactly the way you want. You have to prepare for opportunities as if willpower go exactly how you want. But at the same time you have to be realistic.

“It will be great to close deals with Chris and LJ. That is our goal and intention, but we also know that it is not 100 percent. It may not even be 75 percent. It could be 50 percent. “We will have a backup plan.”

During training camp last summer, Sneed told defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo that he wanted to be the Chiefs’ shadow cornerback (the defender who covers the opponent’s best receiver) because he knew McDuffie, a second-year player, could excel. as a nickel defender. Sneed was right. As the closest defender in coverage to 90 targets in the regular season, Sneed did not allow a touchdown. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 27.7 percent of their passes with 10 or more passing yards when targeting the receiver defended by Sneed, the lowest percentage in the league, according to Next Gen Stats.

Operating out of the slot, McDuffie led the Chiefs with five forced fumbles, while also recording seven pass deflections, three sacks and nine quarterback hits. He led all defensive backs with 14 unblocked pressures.

“We’d love to have those guys back,” Reid said of Sneed and Jones, who led the Chiefs with 10 1/2 sacks. “I know Brett is doing what he has to do to make it happen. (Team owner) Clark Hunt is doing what he has to do to make it happen. “All those guys have heard me talk about how it’s a team sport and they know what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Last week, the NFL announced that its salary cap for next season was set at $255.4 million, an unprecedented increase of $30.6 million for each franchise.

Veach explained that NFL revenue led him to become more optimistic that the Chiefs could retain Sneed and Jones and remain competitive in free agency.

By March 5, the Chiefs could have about $62 million in cap space after three moves. Wide receiver Márquez Valdés-Scantling is the most logical candidate to take a pay cut. That decision would create $12 million in cap space with just $2 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap. The Chiefs could also convert a sizable amount of the roster bonus on quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ contract into a signing bonus. The same could be done with left guard Joe Thuney’s contract.

“On the one hand, when you see that, you get really excited,” Veach said of the salary cap increase. “But you always have to moderate expectations. Now, the next question is: does it automatically guarantee that there will be 6 percent growth next year? It will not necessarily be 270 (million dollars). It could be slower growth. You might get a lot this year, but then you’ll get less in the next two years.

“What helps, at least this year, is the teams that have to use the (franchise) tag. Some teams may just assume that (next year) they will grow at a normal rate, but I tend to think that won’t be the case. It will probably be reduced to some extent. We just have to be on the conservative side so as not to get ahead of ourselves.”

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(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)

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