The Tennessee Titans made a sizable acquisition at cornerback this offseason when they traded for L’Jarius Sneed. General manager Ran Carthon sent a 2025 third-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for his services. The Titans then signed Sneed to a four-year contract extension worth $76.4 million with $55 million in guaranteed money.
Sneed’s $76.4 million contract makes him the sixth-highest paid corner in the league from a total value perspective, according to Spotrac. His average annual earnings of $19.1 million also ranks sixth, falling $400,000 short of a top-three spot (Marshon Lattimore ranks third at $19.5 million). That qualifies as appropriate given Sneed’s performance over the past few seasons.
Sneed was outstanding for the Super Bowl winning Chiefs last season. Pro Football Focus credited him with allowing a passer rating of just 55.9, the fifth-lowest among all qualifying corners. Sneed allowed 42 receptions on 81 targets (51.9% completion percentage) for 406 receiving yards and zero touchdowns.
Sneed represents a massive upgrade at the position for new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. The players commanding boundary roles for the 2023 Titans were Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting. Sneed is a significantly better talent, and is viewed as an ideal fit for Wilson’s aggressive defense.
Despite all the evidence to suggest Sneed was a prized acquisition for the Titans this summer, one media outlet has some questions over his future outlook. Pro Football Network recently compiled a list of the most overrated players on every NFL team. Sneed was the selection for the Titans.
“There’s no denying that L’Jarius Sneed was a shutdown cornerback for the Chiefs last season,” Anthony DiBona wrote. “Yet, his body of work prior to 2023 showcases some legitimate concerns about his ability to play cornerback in the NFL. Despite those concerns, the Titans were willing to trade for Sneed and sign him to a massive contract extension. Tennessee will surely be banking on him to replicate his performance in 2023 and not revert back to the cornerback who allowed 1,736 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns from 2021 to 2022.”
It’s an interesting take given how effective Sneed was throughout 2023, and contrary to DiBona’s writings, in previous seasons as well. He’s expected to form a productive trio of cornerbacks in Tennessee alongside fellow offseason acquisition Chido Awuzie and Roger McCreary. The Titans are hoping Sneed is every bit of the shutdown cornerback they believe him to be.
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Publish date : 2024-07-08 13:02:43
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