The
Seattle Seahawks just shook up the first round of Thursday’s
NFL draft.
Defensive end
Frank Clark is headed to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for the 29th-overall pick and the lower of their two 2020 second-round picks, NFL Network reported Tuesday afternoon. The Seahawks and Chiefs will also swap third-rounders this year as part of the blockbuster starring one of the game’s top pass-rushers.
Clark and the Chiefs agreed to a five-year, $105.5 million contract, with $63.5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.
The Seahawks had spoken to several teams about Clark, who recorded 13 sacks last season, including the Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs, according to NFL Network, although other reports minimized the Jets’ interest.
Seattle GM John Schneider said last week the team was willing to entertain offers for Clark, who was scheduled to earn $17.1 million this season on the franchise tag. Schneider added it would be “feasible but very challenging” for Seattle to retain Clark, linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive tackle Jarran Reed on long-term deals.
“We are always trying to understand what the landscape is throughout the National Football League,” Schneider told reporters last week. “If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be doing our job. We can’t ever have our head in the sand with anything. But we love Frank, obviously. That’s why we franchised him.”
In 2014, Clark was dismissed from the Michigan football team following a domestic violence arrest, and he slipped to the second round of the 2015 draft. The 25-year-old Clark has totaled 32 sacks over the past three seasons for the Seahawks.