The NFL news just keeps flying in at the 2024 NFL Combine. The big thing Tuesday was that Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed could be franchise tagged and then traded if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a long term deal.
This, of course, got Detroit Lions fans very interested in the idea of their team being the one to make a deal for Sneed. After all, the Lions are in need of cornerback help and Sneed is one of the best in the business. What’s the price tag here? Today we’re going to figure that out.
First you have to acknowledge that there’s a lot of moving parts with this. Sneed will be franchised tagged and then traded with the very real expectation that he will sign a long term deal with whatever team he lands with. Sneed is going to be a price right off the bat with that franchise tag.
The franchise tag amount for a cornerback right now is $19.8 million. So the Lions would have to foot that bill right away if they made the deal. On top of that, a long term deal would be a bit pricey for a top shelf corner.
Our on staff cap specialists projected that a new deal for Sneed this year would be a four year, $64 million deal with an annual per year salary of $16 million a year. $35 million of that deal would be guaranteed.
Now as for a trade, what would the Lions have to give up here? Let’s look at some comparable trades. The most recent move is one that could actually be a very good jumping off point.
The Packers traded Rasul Douglas and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Bills for a 2024 third-round pick. Another one is the Dolphins trading their 2024 third round pick and tight end Hunter Long to the Rams for Jalen Ramsey.
That’s more than likely going to be the going rate here, a third-round pick. The Lions do have an extra third-round pick that they got in the T.J. Hockenson trade so they could realistically be interested, but will they actually be?
Probably not. Acquiring Sneed as a free agent is one thing, but having to now give away draft assets and then pay that franchise tag on top of working out a long term deal, there’s just too many hoops to jump through in that case. I think the Lions take a shot at a corner in free agency, I just don’t know if it’s this one.