Could the San Francisco 49ers swing a trade for Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed?

A report surfaced on Wednesday that the Chiefs plan on slapping a franchise tag on Sneed and then attempting to trade him, as Kansas City likely cannot afford to sign Sneed long term.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox sees the 49ers as a potential destination for Sneed if and when the Chiefs decide to place him on the trading block.

San Francisco ranked 14th in passing defense this past season, and outside of Charvarius Ward, the Niners don’t really have any top-level talent at cornerback.

So, it would make sense for the club to inquire about Sneed’s services.

That being said, there is a pretty big obstacle in the way: money.

Even after the NFL’s recent salary cap spike, the 49ers are still $3.4 million over the cap. They are already worried about re-signing some of their own players to long-term deals, such as wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Plus, on Thursday morning, it was reported that San Francisco may be facing some major roster changes this offseason due to its financial constraints.

That doesn’t sound like a team that is ready to take on a defensive back who is in line for a very lucrative multi-year contract.

Yes, the Niners have expressed interest in Denver Broncos star corner Patrick Surtain II, but Surtain still has a year remaining on his current deal at a very cheap salary.

The idea of Sneed in the Bay is certainly interesting. It would give the 49ers one of the better cornerback duos in the league.

But financially speaking, it just does not seem like a very realistic scenario for San Francisco.

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