INDIANAPOLIS, In. -- The NFL Combine began on Monday inside the Indianapolis Colts Lucas Oil Stadium inviting in coaches, general managers and aspiring NFL athletes.
On the heels of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his teammates back in Las Vegas to celebrate their Super Bowl success, the Kansas City Chiefs front office is working hard to figure out how to construct a roster capable of a threepeat.
On Tuesday, Chiefs GM Brett Veach was asked in Indy about their priciest options this offseason. Defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed are coming off seasons that demand a high dollar.
"The more you win, the more you got to pay players and when you have success you're paying a lot of players a lot of money and then it's equally as tough because you're drafting late," Veach said.
The Chiefs once again will have the final first-round draft pick and the last pick of each of the first four rounds. Veach has a history of finding gems late in drafts. Bringing back assets like Jones and Sneed would allow Kansas City to fill other positional needs in the upcoming draft and free agency.
Veach mentioned that he plans to use the franchise tag. Since Jones' would cost over $30 million to tag, Sneed would be the more likely option.
“We do have one tag and I anticipate probably using it to help us, but I think our goal is to get both those players done," Veach said.
Theoretically, if Kansas City franchise tagged Sneed, Jones and the Chiefs would have to agree on a deal to bring back the dominant defensive lineman. Veach seemed confident on Tuesday that they'd get something done.
"He's at the top of the list," Veach insisted. "Both parties I think want to be here. And so, we'll get to work. It's certainly a guy we love and want to finish (his career) here in Kansas City."
The added $30 million in salary cap for each NFL franchise could be a key factor in getting both star defenders back with the Chiefs for at least another year.
