On Friday night time, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs reportedly traded cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. As soon as Sneed’s $19.8 million franchise tag wage comes off of the workforce’s books, we estimate that the Chiefs could have about $26.5 million in wage cap area.
An upcoming piece will analyze what Kansas Metropolis could do to switch Sneed’s position within the secondary. Let’s take a look at another methods the Chiefs can use the cap area they’ve created to fill out the roster.
Re-signing remaining in-house free brokers
Instantly after the commerce, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler—one of many extra reliable league insiders protecting Kansas Metropolis’s entrance workplace — recommended the workforce could look to carry again two contributors to final season’s Tremendous Bowl-winning season: defensive finish Mike Danna and sort out Donovan Smith.
With L’Jarius Sneed’s $19.8M franchise tag going off Kansas Metropolis’s books, they’ve extra flexibility to probably re-sign free brokers reminiscent of Mike Danna and Donovan Smith.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 23, 2024
Each strikes would make sense.
The Chiefs appeared to have adequately deliberate for Danna’s departure in free company by drafting two move rushers final offseason — together with utilizing the thirty first general decide on Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Sadly, Charles Omenihu’s late January ACL-tear places his standing unsure to start out the season. Even when Anudike-Uzomah or fifth-round choice BJ Thompson proves prepared for rotational roles, the Chiefs doubtless will nonetheless have to fill Omenihu’s snaps for a lot of the season.
Few anticipated Danna — coming off of a profession yr in his fourth season — to stay unsigned two weeks into free company. At this level, his finest alternative could also be to return to the Chiefs on a one-year contract to enhance his free-agent inventory for 2025.
Whereas the Chiefs doubtless hope that Wanya Morris — final yr’s third-round choice — proves worthy of beginning at left sort out, his readiness is way from assured after an up-and-down six-game stretch as a rookie. Smith would provide a veteran competitor to power Morris to earn the position.
Seeking to the draft, the Chiefs could discover some intriguing sort out prospects out there late within the first spherical. Nonetheless, they are going to doubtless not realistically be capable of choose a sort out who could be a Week 1 improve over Morris in defending the blindside of Patrick Mahomes. Smith’s presence would enable the Chiefs to determine a prospect with beginning left sort out upside whereas permitting time for growth.
Solidifying the extensive receiver room
The Chiefs’ solely notable exterior addition for the reason that begin of free company has been a one-year pact with extensive receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Now that Sneed’s state of affairs is resolved, they could make one other transfer at extensive receiver after the unit’s struggles in 2023.
Although free company has largely come and gone, some intriguing move catchers stay in the marketplace, doubtless hoping to catch on with a contender.
In 2020, the Chiefs reportedly tried to signal wideout Josh Reynolds earlier than he selected the Titans. Now, again in the marketplace after spending the previous two seasons with the Detroit Lions, the 6-foot-3 Reynolds’ expertise could be a strong praise to Brown and second-year extensive receiver Rashee Rice in a revamped room.
The Chiefs seem to have flirted with the thought of signing veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. — as soon as among the many league’s largest stars — for 2 years. Beckham started his seemingly annual free-agent tour this week by visiting the Miami Dolphins. There has by no means been a extra reasonable alternative for a pairing between Beckham and Kansas Metropolis if the Chiefs are legitimately .
Free company stays deep with move catchers. Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd remains to be in search of his subsequent workforce. Former Titans and New York Jets receiver Corey Davis additionally not too long ago ended his one-year retirement and is reportedly in search of a brand new workforce.
Whereas this yr’s draft is stacked at extensive receiver, the Chiefs ought to take this chance to promote one of many remaining veteran choices on coming to Kansas Metropolis for 2024. With the protection prone to take at the least a small step backward in Sneed’s absence, elevating the ground for the offense might be essential.
Extending key gamers
The Chiefs will face extra key free-agent choices a yr from now as linebacker Nick Bolton, middle Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith see their rookie contracts expire. All offensive linemen are coated underneath a single franchise tag quantity — set by ever-increasing left sort out salaries. The linebacker franchise tag quantity is equally skewed by monster salaries for standing edge-rushers in 3-4 defenses. Due to this actuality, none of those gamers are reasonable tag candidates.
If the Chiefs need to retain the providers of a number of of Bolton, Humphrey, and Smith, they are going to in all probability want to barter contract extensions this offseason. After the gamers acquired necessary raises underneath the league’s confirmed efficiency escalator, new offers may very well decrease their current cap numbers.
The Chiefs’ calculus in shifting on from Sneed, nonetheless, could have been pushed by greater than wage cap issues. It’s potential the Chiefs needed to make use of a few of the virtually $20 million he was scheduled to earn in precise money for signing bonus funds to at the least one of many pending free brokers for 2025.
The underside line
The Chiefs have constructed unbelievable depth from the previous few drafts. Sneed presents the primary of what’s going to be a number of cases of the Chiefs prioritizing general roster flexibility over a second contract for a fan favourite.
With the funds now out there, count on the Chiefs to retain one or two contributors from final season, make one other transfer to bolster the offense, and hand out at the least one extension to a 2021 draftee.