Just two years ago, Kansas City Chiefs fans flooded social media to complain about L'Jarius Sneed's departure. He was a star cornerback and a pillar of two Super Bowl-winning defenses, and his move to the Tennessee Titans was projected to be a disaster for Steve Spagnuolo's defense.
Fast forward to today, and the Titans have released Sneed after two injury-riddled and underperforming seasons. Notably, that gives teams like the Cleveland Browns an opportunity to add him as a low-risk, high-reward pickup.
Sneed's market could be rather dry due to his injury history. Fortunately for Browns GM Andrew Berry, he can afford to roll the dice on a former star who may just need a change of scenery to get back to his former elite level.
L'Jarius Sneed could be the low-risk gamble the Browns need in the secondary
The Chiefs moved Sneed to the outside in his final year with the team. He played 1,142 snaps out wide and just 29 snaps in the slot that season, per Pro Football Focus. However, he was primarily a nickel (commonly referred to as a slot corner) earlier in his career, playing 275 snaps there as a rookie, 684 in 2021, and 592 in 2022.
Unsurprisingly, he played his best football when he spent most of the time in the slot. He had a 77.7 overall PFF grade and posted career-bests in hurries (15), tackles (101), run stops (44), forced fumbles (3), and interceptions (5).
As things stand now, the Browns are rolling with Myles Harden as their nickel, and that might not be the safest bet. Sneed would certainly welcome an opportunity to return to the spot where he feels most comfortable and plays his best football, as well as the chance to prove that he's still got plenty left in the tank.
He can also provide some versatility and an insurance policy in case Tyson Campbell gets hurt, a scenario that would allow Harden to move back to the slot. Whatever the case, there's no downside to giving Sneed a chance.
Sneed is still young, and he played at least 15 games in three consecutive seasons before combining for 12 games in the past couple of years. If he's back to full strength, he can be a low-risk signing on a short-term "prove it" contract to give the Browns' already stacked defense another playmaker.