Ravens Explored Trading Chuck Clark for 1st-Round WR: Report

Getty Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor makes a catch during a January 2022 game.

After taking Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens might be looking to take veteran safety Chuck Clark, though head coach John Harbaugh downplayed those rumors on May 9.

But a new report from NFL insider Adam Caplan indicates that the Ravens are open to dealing Clark for the right compensation, which might include a receiver to replace Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.

One proposed trade package would send Clark to the New York Giants in exchange for wide receiver Darius Slayton, but Caplan said that another NFC East team could have been involved on a recent podcast appearance.

“The Ravens were trying to trade Chuck Clark during the draft. They talked to the Eagles, said Caplan on the Inside the Birds podcast, but Philadelphia wasn’t motivated to pursue a deal.

“Our understanding was they were not interested in Chuck Clark at that point,” Caplan continued, though the Eagles only have two established safeties in Anthony Harris and Marcus Epps.

According to Caplan, the Ravens even inquired about 2020 first-round wide receiver Jalen Reagor, who has disappointed in his first two NFL seasons with just 2.3 receptions and 24.8 receiving yards per game.

“The Ravens definitely, from multiple sources, had interest in Reagor during that draft, but nothing got done,” said Caplan, indicating that Baltimore is looking to add another target for Lamar Jackson after trading Hollywood Brown to the Cardinals. 

Would A Reagor-Clark Swap Work?

The Eagles signaled they aren’t interested in Clark at the moment, but he’s still a plug-and-play starter at safety who’s owed less than $10 million across the next two seasons, per OverTheCap.

While Epps appears ready to step into a starting role, the Eagles may want some insurance for Harris, whose play has dropped precipitously from his best seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. His 61.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus is a far cry from his 89.0- and 91.1-graded 2018 and 2019 seasons, respectively.

Clark would be a relatively inexpensive veteran addition who could offer continuity into 2023 with Harris and Epps both in the last year of their contracts. He’d carry a $2.8 million cap hit in 2022 to Philadelphia, which would rise to $3.3 million in 2023, but that would be offset by Reagor’s 2022 and 2023 hits of $1.8 million and $2.4 million, according to OverTheCap.

What Reagor Would Bring to Baltimore

It’s no secret that the Ravens need a wide receiver, but it’s not clear that Reagor would make Baltimore’s receiving corps much better.

The former TCU standout recorded fewer than 700 receiving yards and just three touchdowns in 202 and 2021, despite playing two-thirds of the Eagles’ offensive snaps.

Advanced statistics don’t help Reagor’s case, either.

His 0.62 yards per route run ranked dead last in the NFL in 2021, per Pro Football Focus, and his 18.2% contested catch percentage was the second-lowest figure in the league as well.

As a result, the Ravens would probably want extra draft compensation in any deal involving Clark and Reagor, but the Eagles are less than two years removed from taking Reagor with the 21st overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

That’s a tough path to a deal, especially when neither side seems particularly motivated to move either player.