Brett Veach prioritizing re-signing Chris Jones, L'Jarius Sneed

[RunKC]

What some of us have been wondering...

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said he is aware of the challenge the organization faces in re-signing both defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed but said it would be an offseason priority to get both players under new contracts.

"Sometimes I look at our situation and I'm like, 'I don't know how we're going to do this,' but we usually work through things systematically and have a list of the priorities,'' Veach said as the Chiefs continued preparations for Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers. "Certainly, Chris and LJ are at the top of the list.

"It's extremely hard because you have two keystone players there.''

Jones, 29, has been one of the NFL's top pass-rushers for years. He had 10.5 sacks this season to tie for the team lead after missing training camp and the first regular-season game while holding out for a new contract.

He didn't get the extension he was looking for, but the Chiefs sweetened the final season of his existing contract.

"It was important for us to mend the fences with Chris because we love him and he's an iconic player here, not just here, but I mean of all time,'' Veach said. "That was important for us, and we'll continue to work hard and see if we can get something done, but it will be a priority for us.''

The Chiefs used Sneed, 27, this season to defend against the opponent's top receiver much of the time, and none had big games against him.

Jones and Sneed are key players for an improved Chiefs defense that allowed fewer points than all but one other team during the regular season and held the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens to 41 total points in the playoffs.

The Chiefs had defenses that were at times competitive since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018, but rarely were they consistently so. Veach and the Chiefs found the task of building a top defense difficult because the past few seasons they were carrying Mahomes' massive contract.

"I still remember in '17 and '18 just saying if we can just get them to punt just once we've got a shot,'' Veach said. "Now all of a sudden it's like all we've got to do is just score once and we're good.

"Going from where we were in '17 and '18 to having one of the best defenses, knowing the constraints we had of just paying [Mahomes] and probably drafting later [in rounds], I don't think I ever envisioned having a top one or two defense.''

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-ljarius-sneed

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Dunerdr

I was in this camp early on. I'm now in the some one will pay this man through their nose. Probably some team that has to play Jefferson, Hill or some other stud wide out 2x a year.

Sneed shut down ELITE guys this year. Deebo and/or Aiyuk are going to have long days Sunday. He's earned every cent he's going to make, either from us or someone else. And if it's not us, I hope it's someone in the NFC (same goes for Jones if he's the one not here next year).

[Coochie liquor]

Originally Posted by Dunerdr

I think you need to avoid the tag just because of his age. Sign him now and you are in a nice spot to get out in 3-4 years hopefully right before he falls out.

Yes. Voidable year the year McDuffie gets paid.

[Dunerdr]

Originally Posted by Coochie liquor

Yes. Voidable year the year McDuffie gets paid.

You keep those two for the next three seasons together, with Cook and Connor both coming on... Sheesh. Gives you the flexibility to back fill Jones leaving over a year or two imo.

[RealSNR]

I think Vrett Bleach is just saying that. I could be wrong, but I thought he mentioned Jones being an offseason priority last year, too.

We can only use the tag on one guy, and I don't see us being able to let the other test the market and manage to come out on top in the bidding. And if we use the tag, that sucks up a huge chunk of available play money to address other offseason needs.

It's just a little excessive, in my opinion. We can maybe afford one, but definitely not both. And I think it's more important to continue keeping this team young and energetic. The more you run it back, the harder it can be to pivot away from that strategy when your core players get too old.

[Dunerdr]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

I think Vrett Bleach is just saying that. I could be wrong, but I thought he mentioned Jones being an offseason priority last year, too.

We can only use the tag on one guy, and I don't see us being able to let the other test the market and manage to come out on top in the bidding. And if we use the tag, that sucks up a huge chunk of available play money to address other offseason needs.

It's just a little excessive, in my opinion. We can maybe afford one, but definitely not both. And I think it's more important to continue keeping this team young and energetic. The more you run it back, the harder it can be to pivot away from that strategy when your core players get too old.

All of this. And its considerably cheaper to tag Sneed, hes younger and has had a better season imo.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Wish we could hold on to Bolton but it feels like he is the easiest to replace out of the really good players who are hard to replace group.

Potentially, but I really don't think it's a coincidence that we started seeing some damn fine defense when we booted guys like Hitchens and Niemann out the door and replaced all of their snaps with Bolton and Gay. Chenal, too.

Everybody pisses on the idea of spending resources on great LBs until you've stocked your cupboard with absolute crap at the position. Then all of a sudden your defense becomes mediocre at best.

If we let both Bolton and Gay walk, I really hope Veach keeps spending those 2nd/3rd round picks on LBs to replace them.

[Bump]

in my Chiefs madden franchise I was able to keep everybody! But couldn't sign any free agents until 2026

[Coochie liquor]

Even CJ95 knows who we should pay.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Potentially, but I really don't think it's a coincidence that we started seeing some damn fine defense when we booted guys like Hitchens and Niemann out the door and replaced all of their snaps with Bolton and Gay. Chenal, too.

Everybody pisses on the idea of spending resources on great LBs until you've stocked your cupboard with absolute crap at the position. Then all of a sudden your defense becomes mediocre at best.

If we let both Bolton and Gay walk, I really hope Veach keeps spending those 2nd/3rd round picks on LBs to replace them.

I can't disagree with any of this. It is a great problem to have and I am glad it is not my job to sort out.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

Still reads to me like "we love Chris, we will try to re-sign Chris, we aren't breaking our budget or price for him."

CJ will hit the open market and Veach is hoping the market isn’t as strong as Chris hopes it is

It’s not completely out of the question we still keep him in KC, if the market isn’t where he wants it to be.

The tough part for Chris is all the top end DTs got paid last year and he decided to wait. That’s going to make it very difficult to set a price for. Chris is the definition of a unicorn up to this point. But his age will play into negotiations.

Watch Veach get CJ back for something like 4/100 with half guaranteed with an initial cap hit of 9-10m in 2024 and gets Sneed signed to a 4 year deal at an AAV of the franchise tag plus a bump for cap increase. Call it 5/100 but really a 3/50 deal that mostly guaranteed.

Then let Veach do what he does in the draft and let’s go for the 3 peat.

If we can keep Tranquill and DS on top of keeping Sneed and Jones, Veach is a miracle worker and this team is going to be extremely tough to beat.

[Fishels]

Originally Posted by RedinTexas

I'm still holding out hope for the sales pitch. "Come back and play for Andy. Come back and play with Patrick. Come back and be part of this dynasty. Let us figure out where we stand with everyone and we'll pay you as much as we reasonably can, but we can't pay you everything you want and still sign the other pieces that make this team formidable."

It worked for the Patriots for years, it's got to work for us with some of them at least.

If all goes well Sunday Jones will have 3 rings. It’s hard for me to imagine him not taking the big payday after his legacy is already like that. Even with 2 rings

[RunKC]

Chris Jones is probably going to Houston unfortunately. They've got the most money to blow and I think Demeco is gonna target him hard on the open market.

[DRM08]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Chris Jones is probably going to Houston unfortunately. They've got the most money to blow and I think Demeco is gonna target him hard on the open market.

I prefer NFC, but I would be OK with Houston instead of Baltimore, Cincy, Buffalo, or the other AFC West teams.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by RunKC

I think there is a possibility of bringing back Chris and Sneed and Tranquill.

Cut MVS and extend Reid to save room. Maybe cash in a Mahomes partial restructure like last year?

The consequences of that are that you're looking at signing a Richie James or Justin Watson type WR for vet minimum while relying on the draft to get another playmaker or two.

Basically banking on Veach to do what the Packers did in the draft this year.

The only way the Chiefs will be able to bring them both back and afford to fill out the rest of the roster is to push pretty well all of Mahomes roster bonus forward. I have my doubts.

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Chiefs have 44 players under contract for 2024 and $24MM in cap room.

$34MM if they cut MVS.

$41MM if they cut Justin Reid.

I think they cut MVS, sign Sneed long term, say goodbye to Chris and use the other $14MM to shore up the roster.

Either way say goodbye to Tranquil, Danna, Gay and probably Mike Edwards and Donovan Smith. They're all gonna be too expensive.

They are 100% converting Mahomes bonus this year. Maybe not all of it, but some of it.

I'd be shocked if they let Tranquill walk too. He's not going to cost a lot regardless. Age and the pay scale for the position working against him.

Danna, Gay and Edwards are all likely gone.

I think CJ may take the deal to stay with the Chiefs if they win Sunday. Getting 3 plus rings would likely put him in the HOF. Jones knows the grass isn't greener because of money if he's close with Tyreek.