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 MahomesMagic

Worthy reminds me of DJ Chark.

In the same way that Tyreek reminds you of AJ Brown? Because that's about how similar they are.

[Pitt Gorilla]

How about we find our own Juaun Jennings? There are great, under-appreciated WRs out there to be found. I imagine Bertrude has some ideas.

[JohnnyHammersticks]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Someone will be.

Maybe it's not Worthy but Walker. Or Leggett. There's going to be a guy available towards the back of the 2nd where we're all banging on the table to go get him.

I'm pretty sure that I already know I'll be shouting for Jalen McMillan with pick 64. I don't think he'll go before then and I don't think we'll get him in the late 3rd. I don't expect we'll go WR in the 1st and he's likely to be my favorite WR option as we hit the mid/late 50s.

Jalen McMillan is this year's version of Rice for me. I really really like that guy in the 2nd round.

I like McMillan too. Kind of reminds me of Worthy. Little stronger, not quite as fast, but very similar imo.

How would you feel about Curtis Samuel on something like 3yrs for $33M? I look at those 3 seasons where he had a bunch of carries and averaged 5 yds per carry and think he'd be great here. Pair him with Rice and a guy like Franklin, Worthy, Legette, or McMillan and I think we'd have 3 great options with a lot of flexibility in terms of play calling.

[ROYC75]

See where we exercised our option to tag CJ today.

[Hoover]

Its money we were going to pay him either way.

[Coochie liquor]

What about drafting Neil Down??

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by JohnnyHammersticks

I like McMillan too. Kind of reminds me of Worthy. Little stronger, not quite as fast, but very similar imo.

How would you feel about Curtis Samuel on something like 3yrs for $33M? I look at those 3 seasons where he had a bunch of carries and averaged 5 yds per carry and think he'd be great here. Pair him with Rice and a guy like Franklin, Worthy, Legette, or McMillan and I think we'd have 3 great options with a lot of flexibility in terms of play calling.

Hell no.

If Curtis Samuel - who disappointed his ENTIRE time in Washington (and one season in Carolina excepted, his entire NFL career), costs $11 million a season just go dumpster diving.

That's probably twice what I'd pay him.

[UChieffyBugger]

Someone needs to create a 2024 free agency thread so we can discuss the options in it's rightful place but the more I watch Rashid Shaheed the more intriguing he looks.

[JohnnyHammersticks]

Heinicke, Wentz, Howell, Bridgewater, Kyle Allen, Cam

He hasn’t exactly had Mahomes throwing him the ball.

[Basileus777]

I hope we take a flyer on some cheap vet WRs/ringchasers, the biggest problem with the approach to WR last year was really just way way too much inexperience.

[Fishels]

If we let Jones go isnt it much harder to find a great DT than a good DB? In the draft

[Fishels]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Yes, we did.

Which is why I made $$$$ betting on KC in the SB because I liked the matchup against SF despite the shitty ass WR's.


And why I said we are in the AFC Championship game as soon as I saw the playoff seeds locked in.

But now that we are taking about next year let's make things easier on our QB.

Agree. Just because Mahomes can do it doesn’t mean we don’t address the situation at all. I say we pay someone who wants to be a ring chaser and then hopefully get another Rice in the draft.

It’s really unlikely for Rice to regress in anyway but if he got injured or something I just can’t take seeing Toney or MVS caliber guys out there anymore. Playoffs be damned.

I’m really confident that all this arguing is futile anyway. Veach, the defense and Mahomes made me eat my words this year. They will figure something out that’s a happy medium

[Fishels]

Originally Posted by BWillie

If we didn't take Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney off of the field I don't think we win the Super Bowl.

It took Skyy Moore getting hurt. And Kadarius Toney getting an offsides penalty where his QB flipped out so much at the refs so he didn't have to choke KT out.

There is no doubt in my mind Mahomes had ENOUGH after that Bills game with KT.

Looking back on things, Toney getting that offsides penalty as the straw that broke the camels back to finally permanently bench him might have been the best thing that could have happened to us.

I mean we probably don’t win the SB this year if that punt isn’t muffed. I know people don’t wanna hear that but we absolutely struggled offensively. I think it was more O line getting outplayed but there is an element of luck that sometimes you can’t account for. For a threepeat we have to accept the luck may go our opponents way next time.

We got really fortunate this team was disciplined enough defensively to play out of their minds.

Final game winning drive by Mahomes was classic Mahomes though. Also special teams this year was just fantastic. Butker and Tommy are unsung hero’s in the comment section of the highlights

[BigRedChief]

They are going to tag Jones.

[Fishels]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

This is kind of funny

Mahomes led a team to the Super Bowl with three WRs in the bottom 11 WRs in success rate.

Lord almighty. https://t.co/EpSP8NWgRX

— Conner Christopherson (@Conner_DKC) February 16, 2024

Maybe im a delusional fan but i think Mahomes can win as many or more than Brady. I really believe that deep down because of stats like that. Mahomes being able to play in his 40’s is something I’m yearning for. Please football gods