Vikings connection could help Minnesota land L'Jarius Sneed

The free agency period is essentially over. Hundreds of families have relocated. Scorned players have formed new vendettas. Beloved icons have signed extensions and pledged loyalty to their fanbases. Some depth-hungry or salary cap-restricted teams may still be picking up scraps, but for the most part, teams have created the structural framework for their 2024 roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs are among those teams that have began to take shape. The Chiefs secured defensive tackle Chris Jones to a long-term deal before he could hit the market, and they signed Marquise Brown to bolster a wide receiver corps that was in desperate need of reinforcement. Questions about star cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, however, continue to linger.

L'Jarius Sneed would 'love' to play for Brian Flores, Vikings

During an appearance on "Minnesota Sports with Mackey and Judd," KSTP's Darren Wolfson said Sneed would "love" to play for Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

"I'm told, everything being relatively equal, he wants to play for Brian Flores," Wolfson said on Tuesday. "L'Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs cornerback, would love to be here."

Although the Vikings defense allowed the ninth-most passing yards during the 2023 season, it was still a remarkable turnaround compared to their defense in 2022, which was among the worst in the league. Flores has mastered the art of dismantling offensive protection by using aggressive man-to-man blitzes or simulated pressure with pre-snap bluffs that cause confusion in protection schemes.

It's understandable why Sneed would want to play for Flores. The Vikings defensive scheme would allow Sneed to travel with the opposing team's top receiver and present him with ample opportunities to intercept hurried throws.

Despite the mutual interest, it won't be easy for the Vikings to acquire Sneed.

"The Chiefs are looking for a pretty decent draft pick, you're not getting him for a sixth or seventh [round pick]," Wolfson said. "Now, maybe in the end you do, but right now you're not. And you need to give him a monster, monster contract. So, there's a lot of hurdles there."

Kansas City used the nonexclusive franchise tag on Sneed this offseason. The designation locked Sneed into a one-year, $19.8 million contract with the Chiefs, but the team remained open to trading their top cornerback if the two sides could not agree to a long-term extension.

At this point, with neither a trade nor a long-term contract in place, the options are beginning to dwindle. Sneed may ultimately have to play the season on the franchise tag, or Kansas City may have to accept less compensation than they'd like. General manager Brett Veach reportedly wanted at least a second-round pick in exchange for Sneed, which may have led teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions to find trades for other starting cornerbacks.

The Vikings don't possess a second- or third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they could play it slow and hope that the Chiefs eventually have no other option except to lower their asking price. The Chiefs have approximately $7.6 million in salary cap space, and they will need roughly $7 million for their incoming rookie class from the 2024 NFL Draft. They will also need to reserve cap space for midseason transactions, trades, and signings. Trading Sneed's $19.8 million cap hit could create the wiggle room they need.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Sneed converted from a safety to a nickel corner before having the best year of his career on the perimeter. Sneed didn't surrender a single touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage on 90 targets in 2023, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He held opposing quarterbacks to a 66.0 passer rating, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked sixth-best among cornerbacks last season.