Vikings Can Roll the Dice on Another Reclamation Project
The Minnesota Vikings arguably need more cornerback depth, and the Tennessee Titans cut ties with veteran L’Jarius Sneed last week. Therefore, the franchise should explore his 2026 price tag, as it probably won’t be much.
Minnesota may need one more experienced cornerback before the offseason wraps.
Sneed has struggled in the last two seasons, but that doesn’t mean he’s beyond salvation.
A Buy-Low Candidate Still Makes Sense for Brian Flores
Sneed as a Vikings CB3 or CB4 makes sense.
Titans Drop Sneed
It’s the end of the road for Sneed in Tennessee.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport wrote Friday, “The Tennessee Titans released cornerback L’Jarius Sneed on Friday, a move that saves $11.4 million in cap space. Sneed struggled to stay on the field for Tennessee, appearing in 12 games over two seasons.”
“He had signed a four-year, $76 million contract after the Titans acquired him in a 2024 trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Titans signed defensive backs Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott and Josh Williams earlier this week to restock their cornerbacks room.”
Not long ago, Sneed was the top cornerback on the free-agent market.
Davenport added, “Starting the 2025 season on the physically unable to perform list as he recovered from a knee procedure in May and a lingering quad injury, Sneed played seven games last season and finished with 26 tackles and three passes defended.”
“He suffered another quad injury in Week 7 against the New England Patriots and missed the final 10 games of the season after going on injured reserve.”
Vikings Won’t Get Away with Pristine CB Health Again
In 2025, the Vikings jaunted into the season with a rather teensy cornerback room, employing Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah as the main trio. Remarkably, Murphy Jr. and Rodgers remained healthy, playing 34 games between them, while Okudah sustained two concussions and didn’t play much in the second half of the season.
The club promoted Fabian Moreau from the practice squad, and he played wonderfully by the standards of an unsung CB3.
On the whole, Minnesota probably won’t get away with being perfectly healthy on behalf of the two main cornerbacks in 2026. It just doesn’t work that way. Therefore, adding a veteran like Sneed or drafting a rookie in April feels wise.
The Vikings’ Current CB Group + Sneed’s Career Resume
Here’s the Vikings’ current CB pecking order:
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- James Pierre
- Dwight McGlothern
- Zemaiah Vaughn
It’s worth noting that McGlothern and Vaughn will be on the roster bubble this summer.
For Sneed, here’s his Pro Football Focus resume through six seasons:
- 2020: 68.4
- 2021: 63.6
- 2022: 77.7
- 2023: 72.5
- 2024: 36.3
- 2025: 50.4
And the passer rating allowed:
- 2020: 54.2
- 2021: 91.9
- 2022: 85.0
- 2023: 56.2
- 2024: 91.8
- 2025: 120.0
Sneed missed 65% of all games in Tennessee due to injury after a productive and mostly healthy run in Kansas City from 2020 to 2023. The ideal scenario, if signed by the Vikings, is Sneed turning back the clock three years to reclaim his glory days. Brian Flores has proved a couple of times that players are capable of that. See: Eric Wilson and Isaiah Rodgers.
A to Z Sports‘ Buck Reising painted an unflattering picture of Sneed after his release: “After former general manager Ran Carthon traded a 2024 third-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for and then signed Sneed to a four-year, $76.4 million deal, things could not have gone worse. Sneed appeared in only 12 of a possible 34 regular season games due to various injuries.”
“Sneed accounted for zero interceptions and is credited with only one pass break-up in those 12 games, per Pro Football Focus. His presence was malignant in Tennessee on a number of different fronts. Current general manager Mike Borgonzi signed defensive backs Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott and Josh Williams this week prior to jettisoning Sneed from the Titans roster.”
That means he’ll be available for cheap.
A Depth CB Needed No Matter What
Let’s pretend Minnesota has no interest in Sneed, who will be gettable on an affordable prove-it contract. Flores should still add another corner. The top of the draft next month offers options like this:
- Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
- Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
- Chris Johnson (San Diego State)
- Colton Hood (Tennessee)
- D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana)
- Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
- Keith Abney II (Arizona State)
- Mansoor Delane (LSU)
From free agency, in addition to Sneed, this is the current list:
- Adoree’ Jackson
- Cam Taylor-Britt
- Darnay Holmes
- Derion Kendrick
- Jack Jones
- Marshon Lattimore
- Myles Bryant
- Rasul Douglas
- Trevon Diggs
Sneed turned 29 in January.
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