Lions unsurprisingly have plenty of competition if they want L'Jarius Sneed

Combing out of the NFL Combine, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Detroit Lions were one of the teams believed to be in the mix for Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs, as expected on the heels of reports suggesting a tag and trade scenario was in play, placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed on Monday.

The non-exclusive tag allows Sneed to negotiate with other teams, and the Chiefs have the right to match any offer he gets. If they declined to match, the Chiefs would get two first-round picks as compensation for losing him.

A trade also remains in play, of course, and there are plenty of teams who could use a cornerback like Sneed, however it looks to secure his services. He and the Chiefs can still negotiate a multi-year deal until July 15, and the tag is worth $19.8 million for 2024.

Lions have plenty of competition if they want L'Jarius Sneed

It's not at all surprising, but according to Tyler Dragon of USA Today the Lions have plenty of competition in the market for Sneed.

"As expected, the Kansas City Chiefs officially placed the franchise tag on cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. Sneed still has permission to seek a trade despite the designation. A person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports that the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars have expressed interest in the Chiefs corner."

Ultimately, the Chiefs have control over where Sneed goes. They don't have to accept just any trade offer, and they can match any contract offer he might get on the non-exclusive tag. But their history with cornerbacks says they don't want to give him a big long-term deal, and reports are confirming that Sneed isn't lacking for suitors.

The Lions are in position where it's reasonable to consider surrendering the draft capital required to get Sneed, one way or the other, and they can give him the contract he's worth on the back end. Among the teams Dragon listed, they are also currently the best-positioned to contend next season and beyond. They are an appealing destination for him, as he considers and fleshes out his options elsewhere.

But Detroit, as expected, is not Sneed's only option as things move toward him being gone from Kansas City.