Amidst Russell Wilson’s deadline for Seahawks, Frank Clark trade rumors appear

Are the Seahawks looking to trade Frank Clark? According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Seattle could be exploring a deal as early as this week.

There’s some chatter on the league grapevine tonight about a possible Frank Clark trade FYI.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 15, 2019

But 710 ESPN Seattle’s John Clayton says he wouldn’t pull the trigger on a trade involving Clark – especially for less than a top-10 pick, and especially when a long-term contract with quarterback Russell Wilson has yet to be ironed out.

Clayton: Exploring Seahawks’ draft options with Dan Shonka

“(Clark is) on hold right now until they get something done or not done with Russell,” Clayton told Mike Salk and Jake Heaps during Monday morning’s Brock and Salk show on 710 ESPN Seattle. “I think they could (get a first-round pick in return). But then the problem is now you have to get two pass rushers, because you won’t have any. The only way you trade Frank Clark if you’re Seattle is if you can get in the top-10 and get someone up there to replace him. And I tend to doubt it when you have five to seven pass rushers that will go in that first round.”

Clark, 25, had his most productive season yet in Seattle in 2018 – which was also the final year of his rookie deal. Rather than sign Clark to a long-term deal earlier this year, the Seahawks made Clark their first franchise-tagged player since 2010. The one-year contract will pay Clark just over $17 million (though as a franchise-tagged player, Clark isn’t required to attend voluntary offseason training).

With the franchise tag, Clark will become an unrestricted free agent once again in March 2020. The Cowboys’ recent five-year, $105 million deal for defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence offered a more clear picture of what a deal for Clark could look like.

“There’s also Dee Ford, who getting $17.5 million. So $18 million is the floor,” 710 ESPN Seattle Brock Huard said of Lawrence’s deal shortly after it was signed. “And now DeMarcus Lawrence is the ceiling: $21 million per year, and $40 million guaranteed. The devil’s in the details, and we don’t know all of it until that contract fully comes out. But $18-21 million per year is your range for Frank Clark.”

Given the high price tag of a top-tier pass rusher – and the expiring contracts for Wilson and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner – there’s little surprise Clark has been the subject of trade rumors. However, unlike with Wilson, the Seahawks have a bit of time to make a decision on a long-term deal with Clark: teams with franchise-tagged players have until July to reach an agreement on a new contract.

O’Neil: Unlikely Wilson will leave Hawks — but this would be first step