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

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Doesn't "treading water" in this case imply a Super Bowl roster?

Theoretically perhaps.

But standing pat doesn't usually work. You've got to get better. Everyone else is.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Theoretically perhaps.

But standing pat doesn't usually work. You've got to get better. Everyone else is.

The "Damnit Carl" days of drafting are over. Bunt Varch usually knocks the later rounds of the draft out of the park. Averaging like 3 or 4 starters out of each draft is amazing. And at this point most of them end up excellent depth so when starters do get injured or we lose a FA here or there we don't miss a beat.

[Sofa King]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

Another thought I had on this that makes me lean Sneed if we had to chose:

Chris Jones had one of the best non-Aaron Donald DT seasons ever in 2022, and our defense was top 10-15.

Sneed and McDuffie balled out this year, Jones fell off a little from 2022, and we had a top 2 defense. Spags said Sneed and McDuffie make everything else work. Let's keep that together for 3 more years.

If we can find a way to keep Jones too? Great, I'm all for it.

Would love to find a way to keep both but this is where I'm at too.

Honestly, with Kelce, Thuney, Jones coming off the books in a couple/few years I don't see how we can't keep both. Especially with Flexibility to restructure Mahomes at any point.

[In58men]

NFL free agency begins 3 weeks from today with legal tampering.

[Monticore]

We don’t have as many picks this year filling holes and adding depth will be hard ,we might be a younger team with less depth.

[Dunerdr]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

Maybe we are point blank missing the offseason pathway which feels so obviously right in front of our faces.

This draft class is being lauded for incredible strength at WR and OT. Fill the offensive needs there and inject youth into the unit that needs it most.

Spend your money on Chris and LJ.

The team is 10000% certifiably better entering 2024.

Couldn't that also make the argument that you tag and trade Sneed? Then use the added capital in a perfect draft classs for the teams needs. (I'm in the re sign sneed, let jones walk camp, just an exercise. )

[O.city]

I'm just not sure tag and trade is in the cards on it. If you tag him, you just keep him for a year.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by Monticore

We don’t have as many picks this year filling holes and adding depth will be hard ,we might be a younger team with less depth.

Not worried.

Our back end is still more talented than most of the league.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

Not worried.

Our back end is still more talented than most of the league.

The issue isn't the back end. We can find those guys.

Its the top end and these two are a couple of the highest end players in the league.

We may just have to lose them and move forward, but there's gonna be some drop off.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Dante84

My preference:
I think my favorite two options are #1 & #3, and I'm slightly leaning towards #3 as my favorite.

I wouldn't be mad at #2, but it would give us some work to do next year in the offseason.

What I think happens:
If you asked me before drunk Chris got on the mic at the parade, I would have said #5 is most likely, and I still think it is very likely.

After Sneed's comments on Kay Adams the other day, I can also see #3 or #4(if we don't want cap being tied up in FA) being very likely.

Yea, I noticed his coments also. He's going to be difficult. I didn't particularly like the comment he made about both Jones and he. Id go Option #3. Veach can draft the hell out of DB's.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Dunerdr

Couldn't that also make the argument that you tag and trade Sneed? Then use the added capital in a perfect draft classs for the teams needs. (I'm in the re sign sneed, let jones walk camp, just an exercise. )

Sure.

This is why the Chiefs are in the perfect position, and this is why you have to use the tag on Sneed and work out a deal to keep Jones in KC before free agency starts.

I'm firmly in the tag and resign Sneed camp, but if you're the Chiefs you are going to listen to offers on Sneed if they come in, and I think they will. The FA corner market is aids. There isn't stud CBs in the draft that can come on and dominate. This benefits the Chiefs. I know Chicago was mentioned somewhere, and that is the exact type of team that it would make sense. They have draft capital and a desire to win now. Now getting the 9th overall pick, I think is doubtful, but Chicago is basically a Sneed away from having an elite Defense.

If a trade does happen, then you ploy those resources into WR or LT position and you don't blink. If it doesn't you are sitting there with Jones and Sneed and your defense minus Willie Gay is probably intact.

[Kiimo]

If we get a bunch of compensation from Sneed maybe we can use it to bring in a top corner!



orrrr

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Sure.

This is why the Chiefs are in the perfect position, and this is why you have to use the tag on Sneed and work out a deal to keep Jones in KC before free agency starts.

I'm firmly in the tag and resign Sneed camp, but if you're the Chiefs you are going to listen to offers on Sneed if they come in, and I think they will. The FA corner market is aids. There isn't stud CBs in the draft that can come on and dominate. This benefits the Chiefs. I know Chicago was mentioned somewhere, and that is the exact type of team that it would make sense. They have draft capital and a desire to win now. Now getting the 9th overall pick, I think is doubtful, but Chicago is basically a Sneed away from having an elite Defense.

If a trade does happen, then you ploy those resources into WR or LT position and you don't blink. If it doesn't you are sitting there with Jones and Sneed and your defense minus Willie Gay is probably intact.

THey've got Jaylen Johnson to sign, so I doubt Chicago is an option.

Now Detroit....is another story.

[crispystl]

Originally Posted by BossChief

If we are being honest and thinking this through, the BEST result is probably tag/trade Sneed. Even though there would be a dropoff, we would get a really good return (likely a first, or a couple 2s) and I think we have the talent in that room to move everyone up a peg. Joshua Williams seems more than capable of a larger role in this defense.

I hate to say it, but I think those kind of draft resources coupled with the available cap space the trade would create could potentially give Veach the kind of ability to make this offense completely unstoppable.

Dude if someone offers 2 first rounders for Sneed, I'm taking that shit all day long.
Could you imagine how far that would go to improving the offense?

[Dunerdr]

Originally Posted by crispystl

Dude if someone offers 2 first rounders for Sneed, I'm taking that shit all day long.
Could you imagine how far that would go to improving the offense?

I'd take two firsts for anyone on the team not named Mahomes.