Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed reportedly doesn’t have to wait until the start of free agency to start talking to teams that might be interested in his services.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Chiefs have given Sneed permission to seek a trade before the start of the new league year. The Chiefs have also told Sneed that they are prepared to use the franchise tag on him if they don’t agree on a long-term deal by Tuesday’s deadline.
Sneed could be traded at any point after getting tagged, but he’d need to sign the tag so his willingness to join the receiving team would be prerequisite to any swap. Giving Sneed permission to talk to teams now would allow the Chiefs to resolve Sneed’s situation quickly if they are able to agree on compensation with the other team.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones is also on track for free agency, so the Chiefs have plenty of balls in the air as they head into the new league year.