NFL Rumors: Seahawks Trade Defensive End Clark To Chiefs For Draft Picks

With the 2019 NFL Draft happening soon, the attention has been solely on who the Arizona Cardinals would make this year’s top pick. The consensus is that it will be either Kyler Murray or Nick Bosa.

And while that is making headlines, several teams have started to make moves to ramp up their rosters That includes the Seattle Seahawks who had to make a hard decision when they traded defensive end Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to Sports Illustrated, Seattle will receive a 2019 first-round pick and a 2020 second-rounder in the deal. Also, the two teams will exchange third-round draft picks once the 2019 NFL Draft gets underway Thursday. This means the Seahawks will have the 21st and 29th pick in the first round.

As for Clark, the Chiefs wasted no time securing the 25-year-old defensive end. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, both sides finalized a 5-year deal worth $105.5 million. The numbers are far larger than the one DeMarcus Laurence got ($63.5 million).

It was a bitter-sweet separation for Clark who had expressed interest in staying in Seattle. However, there were some who felt that he would hold out if he did not get an extension where he would get about $20 million annually, USA Today reported.

Clark understands the business side of the deal although he did single out the Seahawks have had a history of not having players around for the long run. Pundits believe he was referring to the deals that involved Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, and Earl Thomas – all traded before they were set to sign a long-term extension.

Clark nevertheless expressed his gratitude to the Seahawks for the three years he was there. Seattle will now have to find the right player to take over from the defensive end and one could come through the 2019 NFL Draft or via free agency.

The Seahawks do have their fate in their hands. They can stick with their picks or trade up/ down. It all depends on the available talent in the NFL pool and how that player fits in with the team’s needs.

For Kansas City, they get another defensive chip outside Chris Jones. Jones led the Chiefs with 15.5 sacks last season while Dee Ford 13 sacks. With Clark on board, the Chiefs are now better against the run and the pass. He brings in a stronger presence and is seen as a key upgrade to Ford, USA Today mentioned in another report.