Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have freed up cap room by officially moving cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney disclosed that the Chiefs are looking to re-sign one of their edge rushers.
“We’re told Kansas City is also optimistic about using the additional cap space to retain 26-year-old free-agent defensive end Mike Danna,” Sweeney wrote in a March 29 column.
Sneed’s $19.8 million cap cost is no longer on Kansas City’s books, leaving the Chiefs with $26.3 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. That leaves enough room to re-sign Danna and complete numerous other moves, including signing their upcoming draft class.
Mike Danna Coming Off of Career Season
Danna, 26, was selected by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has spent the last four seasons in Kansas City, and his stock has risen with each season.
According to PFF, Danna established career highs in total quarterback pressures (41), stops (31), hurries (28), and sacks (8) in 2023. He also played a career-high 74% of the team’s defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Reference.
Despite a strong level of output last season, Danna is still a free agent at the end of March. Fortunately, his former team has some newfound cap space and a need for depth on the perimeter.
George Karlaftis, the 2022 first-round pick, has evolved into a starter for Kansas City. The squad also possesses Charles Omenihu, who may not be fit for the start of the 2024 season after sustaining a ruptured ACL near the end of the 2023 season. Aside from those two youngsters, Kansas City’s 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Malik Herring, Truman Jones, BJ Thompson, and Jordan Smith have yet to establish themselves as dependable rotational players.
Bringing Danna back into the mix would provide the two-time defending Super Bowl winners with valuable edge depth. The team requires a strong pass rush unit, especially after parting ways with Sneed, who regularly gave the defense time in the trenches to get to the quarterback.
Danna is worth $50.3 million over three years, according to Spotrac’s market value estimate.
Several teams were interested in trading for L’Jarius Sneed.
The Titans were not the only team looking to trade for Sneed. According to Sweeney, the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, and New England Patriots all shown interest in acquiring the standout defensive during the process.
Sweeney also stated that the Minnesota Vikings “considered sending the Chiefs a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for Sneed, but they discontinued discussions due to his medical history.”
Sweeney stated that Tennessee’s offer to Kansas City was the sole legitimate offer submitted to the Chiefs.
Sneed’s new contract with the Titans is for four years and $76.4 million, with $55 million in guarantees. According to Over The Cap, Sneed is now the fifth-highest-paid CB in the NFL in terms of guaranteed salary.
With Sneed’s departure, Kansas City’s CB room now includes Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Nic Jones, Kelvin Joseph, and Ekow Boye-Doe.
The 2024 NFL Draft will kick off on April 25 in Detroit, Michigan.
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