Titans Bolster Secondary, Acquire Sneed from Chiefs

In a blockbuster move aimed at fortifying their secondary, the Tennessee Titans have acquired star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs, per reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal will see the Chiefs receive a 2025 third-round draft pick and a 2024 seventh-round pick swap in exchange for the 27-year-old defensive back.

Sneed, who was franchised by the Chiefs earlier this month, will now ink a new lucrative contract with the Titans that is expected to make him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. The framework of this agreement has reportedly been in the works for several days, pending Sneed passing his physical examination.

For the Titans, the addition of Sneed addresses a pressing need in their revamped secondary. Having already signed veteran corner Chidobe Awuzie to a three-year, $36 million contract in free agency, Tennessee now boasts an formidable cornerback duo with Sneed and Awuzie manning the outside positions. Rookie Roger McCreary is slated to handle nickel duties.

This bolstered defensive backfield will be crucial for the Titans as they brace to face the talented group of quarterbacks within their own AFC South division, including 2023 No. 1 overall pick C.J. Stroud, as well as Trevor Lawrence and Anthony Richardson.

Sneed arrives in Nashville fresh off arguably his best season since joining the Chiefs as a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. In 2023, he routinely drew the assignment of covering opposing teams’ top receivers, often shadowing them for at least 65% of offensive snaps – a league-high achievement he accomplished seven times during the regular season.

With the exception of one five-catch, 73-yard outing surrendered to Davante Adams, Sneed consistently held elite wideouts in check, preventing them from hauling in more than two receptions when he was the nearest defender in coverage. Remarkably, he did not allow a single touchdown catch for the entirety of the 2023 campaign until the Chiefs’ divisional playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Sneed’s impact was on full display during Kansas City’s run to the AFC Championship Game, where he spent 21 snaps trailing Baltimore’s Zay Flowers. Though Flowers managed to secure one 54-yard grab against Sneed’s coverage, the cornerback made a pivotal play by punching the ball loose just before Flowers reached the end zone, with the Chiefs recovering the fumble.

Over his four-year NFL tenure thus far, encompassing 57 regular-season games, Sneed has accumulated 10 interceptions and 40 passes defensed. His postseason resume includes one interception and seven passes defensed across 13 playoff contests.

For the Chiefs, this trade frees up approximately $19.8 million in salary cap space as they rejuvenate their roster following their third Super Bowl triumph in five seasons. Meanwhile, the Titans have reloaded with an array of high-profile additions, including linebackers Kenneth Murray, wide receiver Calvin Ridley, and running back Tony Pollard, as they aim to reclaim the AFC South crown.

As the NFL’s peak offseason frenzy draws to a close, the Sneed acquisition stands out as one of the most impactful trades, with profound implications for the complexion of at least two teams’ defenses and title aspirations in the 2024 campaign.