Cowboys to Sign Chiefs CB L'Jarius Sneed In NFL Free Agency: Truth or Fiction Rumor?

Dallas Cowboys to Sign Kansas City Chiefs CB L'Jarius Sneed In NFL Free Agency: Truth or Fiction?

FRISCO - The technique we like to use when assessing a "truth or fiction'' prediction regarding an NFL team's supposed "pursuit'' of a player is rooted in something your third-grade math teacher surely used on you.

"Show your work!'' she wrote in red ink in the margins of your frantically-scribbled pop quiz.

We don't do this to be jerks or tattletales or contrarians; we simply demand that some background and logic be applied to "news stories.''

So ... along comes a "report'' that links the Dallas Cowboys to Kansas City Chiefs star cornerback L'Jarius Sneed ...

And our first reaction is one we blurted out on Twitter ...

1) Who is reporting that the #Cowboys are trying to sign #Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed ?

2) Ask whomever is reporting this to 'pull out a No. 2 pencil and show your work.'

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) February 14, 2024

Who is "reporting'' this? And are they "pulling out a No. 2 pencil to show their work''?

The item, it turns out, comes from Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline, and we mean no offense when we question where Pauline's info comes from. ... and where the logic comes from.

Sneed, 27, is a former fourth-round pick who has come into his own, and coming off a fine performance for the Super Bowl champs is set to hit free agency.

There is already talk that the Chiefs, which have the cap room to keep him with a long-term deal, could use the franchise tag on him; that speaks to how they value him ... and that number is about $19 million for 2024.

That alone would obviously preclude Dallas from getting involved.

Indeed, KC has already vowed to keep him, During the lead-up to the Super Bowl, general manager Brett Veach having said of Sneed and star defensive tackle Chris Jones, ESPN:"Sometimes I look at our situation and I'm like, 'I don't know how we're going to do this,' but we usually work through things systematically and have a list of the priorities. Certainly, Chris and LJ are at the top of the list.”

That should be that ... but "what if''? Pauline writes to "Keep an eye on the ... Dallas Cowboys.'' But why? How?

Currently, the Cowboys are over the salary cap for 2024 by about $14 million. But that's not necessarily an obstacle, as maneuvers (including a new deal for Dak Prescott that will actually create $20 million of room) are planned. 

No, what stands in the way is another math problem: Dallas already employs (using round numbers) a $20 million defensive end in Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence, a soon-to-be $30 million edge in All-Pro Micah Parsons, a $20 million cornerback in when-healthy All-Pro Trevon Diggs and in All-Pro DaRon Bland, who is a year away from being eligible for his own $20 million contract.

So Dallas wants to add a third cornerback who makes $20 million ... with a defense on which five guys make a combined $110 million? That's five defensive players making 45 percent of the cap!

Is it it possible? In theory. Is it wise? Of course not. Did somebody in authority really serve as a source to a media outlet and propose it? We're dubious ... which causes us to grab that red pen and to express our doubt in the margins of the pop quiz.