Dave Wyman: DE Frank Clark ‘has to be the guy’ for Hawks D-line
Jun 25, 2018, 11:44 AM | Updated: 12:45 pm
Seahawks DE Frank Clark could be Seattle's top priority when it comes to contract extensions. (AP)
(AP)
A chaotic offseason saw plenty of turnover for the Seahawks. But while the departure of longtime stars like Richard Sherman dominated headlines, the most consequential turnover could be on the defensive line – where three of last year’s four starters have been replaced.
Do Seahawks need to get a deal done with Frank Clark?
Frank Clark (who assumed a starting position last year) and Dion Jordan have taken the place of the now-departed Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. Watching Jordan’s impressive return to action last year was encouraging, but 710 ESPN Seattle’s Dave Wyman warns that if Jordan is the player who ends up leading Seattle in sacks in 2018, this team could be in trouble.
“Dion Jordan is such a solid dude,” said Wyman, a former Seahawks linebacker and current co-host of Danny, Dave and Moore. “I really think that if you asked him, he would not change his past. That there was a reason for what happened in the first years of his career. But man, if he’s the leading sack guy this year I think we’ll be in trouble.
“Frank Clark has to be the guy that gets it.”
Clark, 25, became a regular starter last season after Avril suffered a neck injury in Week 4. He finished the season with nine sacks and 19 tackles, adding to his career tally of 22 sacks for Seattle. After skipping OTAs this spring, Clark returned for the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp, ending speculation that he, too, would be holding out for a new deal.
Despite being a limited participant and nursing a hamstring injury, Clark’s return to team activities was encouraging for Seattle’s much-needed pass rush. Now with the most starting experience, he heads a group with just three other veterans: Jordan, Marcus Smith, and Branden Jackson. Also pushing for time are rookies Jacob Martin and Rasheem Green.
“Here’s what I came up with: I think they need to get 39 sacks (in 2018),” Wyman said. “Clark has to have a third of them. So if my math is correct, he’s got to have 13 sacks this year. And I said he should’ve gotten double-digits last year; he got nine. But he’s got to be the guy.”
Listen to Wyman’s full Blue 42 segment from Monday’s Brock and Salk show here.
