Chiefs are not going to let L'Jarius Sneed leave... especially if the Broncos have interest

On Tuesday, NFL free agency rumors began to swirl that the Denver Broncos could be looking to acquire Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who is set to hit free agency.

What a move that would be for the Broncos. One of the best ways to knock the best team off the top perch is to take from them. If the Broncos signed Sneed, the idea of pairing him in the secondary opposite Patrick Surtain II is tantalizing.

But let's get a hold of ourselves, the champs aren't going to allow that.

First off, the Broncos would have to do some serious work on the cap by cutting players and/or restructuring contracts to be able to afford Sneed, who is going to command top dollar.

Spotrac estimates that Sneed will fetch around $16.3 million per year with his new deal and be paid like one of the top corners in football, which he is.

But Kansas City still has a franchise tag that it can use and if a new deal can't be reached with Sneed or defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is also a free agent, that tag is absolutely going to be applied to one of those players. The Chiefs also have the cap room to sign the other (the one who isn't tagged) to a long-term deal.

So there is a good chance that the Chiefs will end up keeping both Jones and Sneed.

The fact that the Broncos are interested in Sneed, if in fact that rumor is true, shows how the team could be planning to approach this offseason. And it makes sense. The Broncos play in a division that has Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. They are going to have to attack those quarterbacks by signing impact defensive players and Sean Payton certainly knows that.

The thought of Sneed coming to Denver is fun, but it's not likely. The Chiefs won't want to take the chance that one of their best players joins a division rival, especially when an unprecedented three-peat is in sight.