Getty The Seahawks could sign DE Frank Clark.
The Seattle Seahawks could be looking at a possible reunion with one of their former players.
As predicted by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, the Seahawks could bring back edge rusher Frank Clark. Knox predicts Seattle to sign their former defensive end — he played with the Seahawks from 2015 until 2018 — to a one-year deal.
Knox attributes the Seahawks’ lack of pursuit of a viable edge rusher in free agency as a reason for why Seattle should pursue Clark, who clinched three consecutive Pro Bowl berths from 2019 until 2021 as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
“The Seahawks only have $7.2 million in cap space available, but they could indeed be inclined to make room for Clark,” said Knox. “Seattle has yet to add a dedicated edge-rusher this offseason, and it’s obviously open to bringing back familiar players—linebacker Bobby Wagner just re-signed with the Seahawks on a one-year, $5.5 million deal.”
Frank Clark’s Postseason Success Could Help Seahawks
The 29-year-old Clark is one of the game’s best edge rushers in recent years. Since entering the league as a second-round draft pick of the Seahawks back in 2015, Clark has racked up 58.5 sacks. Although he hasn’t come close to replicating the 13 sacks he posted during his final season in Seattle back in 2018, he’s an absolute postseason menace since he was traded to the Chiefs back in 2019.
Clark racked up 2.5 sacks during the Chiefs’ run to the Super Bowl this past season and has 10.5 sacks in 12 playoff games with Kansas City. That type of postseason excellence could help out a young Seahawks squad that doesn’t feature many players with playoff experience outside of the returning Bobby Wagner.
After the Chiefs released Clark in early March, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic actually left the door open on his return to Seattle.
“Of the players on this list, Clark might be the most expensive to sign, but that’s cash Seattle could feel comfortable spending since it knows Clark’s background and would be reuniting him with Hurtt, his former position coach,” wrote Dugar on March 8.
Dugar details Clark’s impact on both the Seahawks and Chiefs during the course of eight-season career.
“Clark was Seattle’s top pick in the 2015 draft, and by the end of his rookie contract, he had a 13.5-sack season under his belt,” said Dugar. “That 2018 campaign is the last time the Seahawks had a double-digit sack producer. Since Clark was traded to the Chiefs, he’s totaled 23.5 sacks and 64 quarterback hits and made three Pro Bowls. He’s also delivered in the playoffs, leading all active players with 10.5 sacks in that span.”
Cost of Adding Frank Clark Could Be Over $12 Million Per Season
According to Spotrac, Clark’s market value is $12.4 million per season across two years for a total of just slightly under $25 million. That would make Clark the 16th-highest paid defensive end in the league and would give the sixth-highest cap hit of any player on the Seahawks this season. At the current moment, Seattle only has a little over $7 million in available cap space.
The Seahawks could always make moves to clear up a little cap space — with Clark also taking a signing bonus-friendly deal — that could help Seattle reunite with their former defensive end.
Although the Seahawks do have two respectable edge threats in Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu, neither possess the playoff pedigree that Clark does.
With Seattle gearing up for a potential deep playoff run, the Seahawks can use a proven postseason edge rusher in the two-time Super Bowl champion Clark.