What it will cost the Colts to trade for L'Jarius Sneed

The Indianapolis Colts have been linked as a serious contender to trade for Kansas City Chiefs star CB L'Jarius Sneed. 

And it's easy to see why. Sneed perfectly fits Gus Bradley's heavy zone coverage defensive scheme. 

I decided to dive into three potential trade packages that I believe the Colts would consider sending to the Chiefs for Sneed.

What the Chiefs will want

Colts send 2024 2nd

It's been reported that the Chiefs want a second-round pick in return for Sneed in a trade. So if the Colts want to comply with that asking price to speed up a trade, they'd send pick 46 to the Chiefs. Another important element of this situation is that Sneed has been given permission to speak with teams to facilitate a trade. I have a hard time seeing any team trading a second-round pick without Sneed's camp guaranteeing he would sign a long-term deal following the trade. The only way I think the Chiefs get a second in a trade is if Sneed is truly comfortable signing an extension with multiple teams pursuing him. If he only tells one trade partner that he would sign an extension, the Chief's leverage in a trade would take a significant hit. 

What the Colts will want

Colts send 2024 3rd & 5th

While the Chiefs want a second, I think it's more likely that interested teams will send a third this year, along with a three-day pick. Due to the team that trades for Sneed having to hand him a lucrative long-term contract, something the Chiefs don't seem interested in doing themselves. So if, as I said near the end of the previous paragraph, the Chiefs lose leverage, I think this type of compensation could become more likely. So if the Colts could convince Sneed that this defensive scheme is perfect for maximizing his skill set, maybe he will push for Indianapolis to be his next home and save the Colts a second-round pick in this stacked draft class. 

The compromise

Colts send 2024 3rd & 2025 conditional 3rd

Like in most negotiations in life,  rarely in trade talks does either team get exactly what they want. Finding a compromise is often the thing that makes or breaks a trade. So if the Chiefs end up not getting the second they covet, this is a way I think they can get close to that value and give themselves a chance to end up with two-day-two picks. The Colts, for example, could send their third this year and a conditional third in 2025 that stipulates on snaps logged by Sneed. This condition would be slight insurance for a team if Sneed were to get injured, but if he stays healthy and meets the snap threshold put on the condition, the Chiefs would end up netting two-thirds in return.