L’Jarius Sneed leaned on his preacher during confusing trade process before finding ‘home’ with the Titans
Now, the cornerback can help bring championship-caliber defense to Tennessee
NASHVILLE — Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed is bringing championship expectations to the Tennessee Titans. The 27-year old defender was introduced as the newest member of coach Brian Callahan's team at a press conference on Tuesday.
Tennessee traded with the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire Sneeds services after a weeks-long saga.
"I didn't know what was going on," Sneed said on 104.5 The Zone about the trade process. "Where am I going to be? Where am I going to go? There were just so many questions that I was asking myself. I was so confused, man. I had to call my preacher and sit down with him and just let him instill in me some words and encourage me."
Kansas City placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed ahead of the NFL's deadline to do so last month, keeping him under team control while leaving open the possibility of a trade.
The Chiefs granted Sneed permission to seek a trade. Kansas City wanted to make sure that if the two-time Super Bowl winner left in the offseason that they would at least receive some draft pick compensation. Titans general manager Ran Carthon got the deal done for a 2024 seventh-round pick swap and a 2025 third-round choice to the Chiefs in acquiring Sneed.
Carthon understands how desperately Tennessee's defense needs a top-flight corner.
"It helps us tremendously out from a coverage standpoint on the back end," Carthon said of the Sneed trade. "And if you guys know Dennard (Wilson) and what he wants to do, I think the guys that we signed in Chido (Awuzie) and LJ, I think they both fit what he wants to do from a coverage standpoint. And then having Roger (McCreary) here. Roger's played outside, he's played inside. And so, he fits as well.
"So, it gives us a legitimate top three out of the gate and we're going to continue to add guys and we’re expect guys that were here last year to step up and earn those other spots. But we're bringing in scheme fits for what we're going to do defensively."
Sneed received a four-year, $76.4 million contract from the Titans upon being traded by Kansas City.
Sneed and fellow offseason addition Chidobe Awuzie will be making $19 million and $12 million on average per year (APY), marking the first time in Tennessee's franchise history that the team's top two cornerbacks will both have Top 15 APY salaries in the salary cap era, per Travis May of AtoZ Sports. It is a massive investment with the expectation of immediate returns.
"It all worked out," said Sneed. "I'm happy as ever, especially since I came into this facility and met everyone. I feel like I'm home. Everybody's making me feel like family, and that's what I'm all about. Family."
Carthon and Callahan could not be happier about brining this latest addition into the fold.
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Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.
