Let’s talk Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks. After Sneed and Ward, who else factors in?
One season removed from ranking eighth against the pass, the Chiefs’ defense slipped to 14th in that statistical category in 2020, allowing 236.2 yards per game.
To be fair, this is a position group that saw its share of adversity last season.
- Bashaud Breeland served a four-game NFL suspension to start the season.
- Charvarius Ward missed the Chiefs’ Week 2 game after suffering a broken hand in the season opener, then weathered what he called an early season slump.
- Alex Brown suffered a season-ending ACL tear during training camp.
- And rookie L’Jarius Sneed missed six games with a shoulder injury.
Yet these guys still managed to rally. Their turnaround started with Sneed, the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
As the Chiefs turn their attention to the business side of football before the start of the NFL’s new calendar year on March 17, we’re evaluating each of the team’s position groups.
As you might’ve guessed, today it’s all about the corners. Previous evaluations examined the Chiefs’ quarterbacks, offensive line, tight ends, defensive line and linebackers.
POSITION REVIEW
2020 FINAL ROSTER: Charvarius Ward, Bashaud Breeland, L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, Antonio Hamilton, BoPete Keyes
INJURED RESERVE: Alex Brown (knee), Deandre Baker (leg)
2021 FREE AGENTS: Breeland, Hamilton, Ward (restricted), Brown (exclusive rights)
Before suffering a shoulder injury in Week 3, Sneed flashed some stellar play, including an interception in each of the first two games while starting opposite Ward during Breeland’s absence.
The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Sneed returned to action in Week 11 and the Chiefs took full advantage of his versatility by moving him inside to a nickel corner position, where he thrived. Sneed finished the regular season with 41 tackles, three interceptions, two sacks, three quarterback hits and seven passes defensed. In the postseason, Sneed had 14 tackles, including two for a loss, and two sacks.
How good was Sneed during his rookie regular season, in which he made nine appearances and six starts?
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach believes an argument can be made that Sneed would be a first-round pick if there was a do-over draft.
Which brings us to Ward. It took him a few games to get used to playing with a cast on his left hand, but once he was fully healthy the Chiefs received the same level of consistent play he’d displayed in 2019. He appeared in 14 games, including 13 starts, and amassed 51 tackles, a sack, three quarterback hits and six passes defensed.
Breeland returned to the starting lineup in Week 5 after serving his suspension and made an immediate impact with an interception against the Las Vegas Raiders. He finished the regular season with 11 starts and played 688 snaps, producing a steady 38 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and nine passes defensed.
Fenton, who appeared in all 16 regular-season games, took some key steps in his second season as a pro. He made three starts (Weeks 2-4) while Ward, Breeland and Sneed were sidelined. By season’s end, Fenton totaled 525 defensive snaps, 35 tackles, an interception and seven passes defensed. The second-year pro also contributed 137 snaps on special teams.
The Chiefs signed Hamilton to a one-year deal during last year’s free-agency period. In 16 regular-season games, Hamilton mostly played on special teams, totaling 330 snaps (75 percent of all special teams plays) to 135 snaps on defense (13 percent).
Keyes, the Chiefs’ seventh-round pick of the 2020 draft, appeared in eight games and started the regular-season finale, in which he made eight tackles as most of the Chiefs’ starters and key players rested up ahead of the postseason. A healthy inactive in eight games, Keyes spent his rookie campaign in a backup role: he logged just 79 total defensive snaps (7 percent of the team’s total) and 58 on special teams (13 percent).
LOOKING AHEAD
With Breeland and Hamilton scheduled to become unrestricted free agents March 17, the Chiefs will probably see some transition at this position.
Bringing back either Breeland or Hamilton on team-friendly deals makes sense, especially for Breeland, considering his starting experience and familiarity with the scheme.
Veach’s comments earlier this week provide a hint that the Chiefs might look to bolster their cornerback corps through the 2021 NFL Draft.
“I would say the two positions that really jump out at you would be the offensive line and the cornerback position,” Veach said Monday in evaluating this year’s draft class. “I think those are the two positions that kind of just, when you look at the board, they kind of just scream at you that there’s depth there.”
The Chiefs caught lightning in a bottle with Sneed last year. He clearly outplayed his fourth-round selection slot, and Veach’s eye for spotting talent shouldn’t be discounted if he believes a starting-caliber cornerback awaits when the Chiefs are on the clock for one of their half-dozen picks.
Ward is a restricted free agent, and the Chiefs could tender him a qualifying offer to keep him in Kansas City. Fenton is locked in for two more years, while Keyes is signed through the 2023 season on his rookie contract.
The Chiefs have also signed Baker, who suffered a fractured leg in his lone start (Week 17), and Chris Lammons, who spent time on the practice squad in 2019, to reserve/future contracts.
Baker is particularly intriguing. The former first-round pick of the New York Giants (2019) joined the Chiefs’ practice squad midway through the regular season after settling some legal issues. The talent is obviously there. He could be a future starter.
ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK?
For whatever reason, the free-agent market hasn’t been kind to Breeland despite his consistent play and proven experience.
Breeland, who just wrapped up his seventh professional season, has signed one-year deals two straight years with the Chiefs.
If Breeland, who played on a $1 million base salary in 2020, commands a high level of interest on the open market in his third shot at free agency, the cash-strapped Chiefs might be forced to let him walk.
If Breeland doesn’t return, expect Ward and Sneed to be the starters in 2021.
Hamilton, who earned a base salary of $910,000 in 2020, can contribute on special teams, but the Chiefs will also have Brown, a capable special teams performer in his own right, back from injured reserve.
