L’Jarius Sneed could wind up being the Pittsburgh Steelers’ one big acquisition. What would it cost them if they did?
This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to free up a lot of cap room. Even though they now have $5 million more than the cap, they still need to make some space in order to proceed. However, they probably have enough room and flexibility to bring in one significant player. Is that L’Jarius Sneed, the cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs? Although Sneed is a possibility for the franchise tag, the Chiefs may decide not to tag him when Chris Jones’ contract expires.
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus published his contract forecasts, which have shown to be fairly accurate recently. And he thinks a three-season deal for roughly $17.5 million a year, with two of those years guaranteed at $35 million, would be a reasonable amount for Sneed.
After lining up mostly in the slot throughout his first three seasons, Need was a mainstay out wide in 2023 and performed admirably in a number of challenging matchups. Sneed is a sticky cornerback in coverage, sliding into receivers’ hip pockets and becoming very difficult to shake with lateral movement or in the air at the catch point. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo asks a lot of his cornerbacks. Although Sneed could reduce his number of infractions, many clubs would benefit from his aggressive style and inside-outside versatility, according to Spielberger.
As previously indicated, if things don’t work out with Jones, Sneed may be a strong contender for the franchise tag, with the cornerback position carrying a $19–20 million salary this offseason. However, what is Sneed’s desire? When he spoke with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he expressed his desire to be in Kansas City.
“I wish I could return,” Sneed murmured. “I wish to remain where I am. It’s a component of the company.I did my absolute best over the whole year. All of it is mental. Play ball and shut it out.
After lining up mostly in the slot during his first three seasons, Need was a staple out wide in 2023 and performed admirably in a number of difficult matchups, according to PFF. “Sneed is sticky in coverage, getting into receivers’ hip pockets and becoming very hard to shake with lateral movement or in the air at the catch point. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo asks a lot of his cornerbacks.”
It’s unclear if the Steelers would want to take this drastic a step, but it would make sense to have two elite cornerbacks to strengthen the cornerback room.
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