Legendary Hall of Fame Reporter

John Clayton

John Clayton was a longtime NFL insider and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame best known for his tenure with ESPN. He hosted The John Clayton Show from 8-11 a.m. on Seattle Sports each Saturday, and was a sideline reporter on Seahawks Radio Network game broadcasts. John passed away in March 2022, and is survived by his wife Patricia.

JOHN CLAYTON | May 1, 2019
Clayton: Ziggy Ansah drawing interest from multiple teams, but Seahawks would be best fit

Former Lions DE Ziggy Ansah remains on the free agent market. According to John Clayton, Ansah and the Seahawks make a good pairing. And after May 7, Seattle wouldn't need to give up a compensatory pick to sign him.
JOHN CLAYTON | Apr 28, 2019
Clayton: Seahawks made most of draft, but they still have 1 big area of need

Seahawks general manager John Schneider turned four NFL Draft picks entering the week into 11 by Saturday's end, but Pete Carroll said it best: More work needs to be done with the roster.
JOHN CLAYTON | Apr 26, 2019
Clayton: Seahawks can go plenty of ways in draft after taking L.J. Collier

John Clayton takes a look at what the Seahawks did during the first round of the NFL Draft, including what they have planned for first-round pick L.J. Collier, and breaks down how the remaining rounds could go.
JOHN CLAYTON | Apr 23, 2019
Clayton: How will Seahawks rebuild pass rush after Frank Clark trade?

The Frank Clark trade solved a couple of problems for Seahawks GM John Schneider, but it leaves him with one big one: the pass rush. John Clayton breaks down how Seattle will try to rebuild its D-line.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Apr 19, 2019
Clayton: Everything we learned about the Seahawks this week — and what lies ahead

710 ESPN Seattle's John Clayton takes a look at everything we learned about the Seahawks this week -- and previews what still lies ahead, from contracts for Bobby Wagner and Frank Clark, to next week's draft.
JOHN CLAYTON | Apr 16, 2019
Clayton: All the ways Russell Wilson’s deal helps Seahawks going forward

Since coming into the NFL, Russell Wilson has been a master of the fourth-quarter comeback. In getting a four-year extension from the Seahawks early Tuesday morning, Wilson showed his fourth-quarter ability as a business person.
JOHN CLAYTON | Apr 12, 2019
Clayton’s SCHOOLED: Exploring Seahawks’ 2019 draft options with Dan Shonka

The draft is less than two weeks away and the focus for the Seahawks is on getting some help on defense and adding more draft choices through trades. To make sense of some of the possibilities for the Seahawks, Dan Shonka of Ourlads joined us on Schooled with the Professor.
JOHN CLAYTON | Apr 8, 2019
Clayton: Does deadline make Russell Wilson extension more likely with Seahawks?

John Clayton catches up on the last week of news from the Seahawks, including his thoughts on whether Russell Wilson's reported April 15 deadline will actually help the two sides come to an agreement.
JOHN CLAYTON | Mar 28, 2019
Clayton: Why Pete Carroll is excited about the state of the Seahawks

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was his usual excitable self at the NFL's owners meetings, but it's easy to understand why he feels good about his team, writes John Clayton.
JOHN CLAYTON | Mar 25, 2019
Clayton: With secondary cleared up, Seahawks can make 1 more signing

It may not have been as strong as what the Seahawks have done at linebacker or on the offensive line this offseason, but a productive weekend in free agency solidified their secondary.
JOHN CLAYTON | Mar 20, 2019
Clayton: Why Aaron Lynch would make sense for Seahawks and the latest on Doug Baldwin

John Clayton takes a look at where the Seahawks sit in the second week of NFL free agency, explaining how Aaron Lynch could be a good fit and what Doug Baldwin's latest injury means for Seattle.
JOHN CLAYTON | Mar 15, 2019
Clayton: Seahawks take step forward at LB, special teams after first week of free agency

After the initial frenzy of free agency died down, the Seahawks made a few key moves to improve their special teams and linebacker corps. But what decisions still need to be made?
JOHN CLAYTON | Mar 12, 2019
Clayton: Where free agency’s early start leaves the Seahawks

NFL free agency got off to an early start, and while it doesn’t officially begin until 1 p.m. Wednesday, it hasn’t been pleasant thus far for the Seahawks. John Clayton breaks down all the moves.
JOHN CLAYTON | Mar 8, 2019
Clayton: Who will Seahawks take with top draft pick? Look at pass-rushers

John Clayton had the Seahawks taking Florida State defensive end Brian Burns in his mock NFL Draft for the Washington Post, but there may be other pass-rushers they have to look to.
JOHN CLAYTON | Mar 4, 2019
John Clayton breaks down Seahawks’ decision to franchise Frank Clark

Fresh off the news that the Seahawks have made Frank Clark their first franchise designated player since 2010, John Clayton looks at the ins and outs of the decision and what comes next.
JOHN CLAYTON | Feb 28, 2019
Clayton: Seahawks’ Carroll, Schneider beginning to paint picture of offseason

John Clayton checks in from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where he caught up with Pete Carroll and John Schneider, to detail the latest from the Seahawks' brass.
JOHN CLAYTON | Feb 22, 2019
Clayton: Why Russell Wilson-NY rumors are biggest non-story of Seahawks offseason

The rumors of Russell Wilson wanting to leave the Seahawks for New York don't add up, writes John Clayton. "Let’s get right to the point: They are not trading Russell Wilson."
JOHN CLAYTON | Feb 20, 2019
Clayton: Big decisions at OL, DE for Seahawks in free agency

All eyes are on Seahawks DE Frank Clark this month, and while 710 ESPN's John Clayton talks about Seattle's options there, he also takes a look at a few big decisions for the offensive line.
JOHN CLAYTON | Feb 14, 2019
Clayton: Just 4 draft picks? That won’t be a problem for Seahawks GM

It may not look like the Seahawks have a lot of options with what they can do this offseason, but John Schneider has shown that he can do a lot with just a handful of draft picks to start.
JOHN CLAYTON | Feb 8, 2019
Clayton: Seahawks LB K.J. Wright in good spot for new deal, but it will probably come from another team

Linebacker K.J. Wright is in the right place at the right time for a new deal. The unfortunate part is he’s in such a good place that he is probably going to end up a former Seahawk.
JOHN CLAYTON | Feb 6, 2019
Clayton’s takeaways from SB week and preview of 2019: Officiating changes, Seahawks signings

John Clayton takes a moment to reflect on what we learned from Super Bowl LIII before diving into some predictions for 2019. Among those predictions are changes to officiating, potential HOFers, and some Seahawks contracts.
JOHN CLAYTON | Jan 30, 2019
Clayton: How Seahawks’ effort to re-sign Fluker, Sweezy impacted by Glowinski extension with Colts

The Colts' three-year extension for former Seahawks guard Mark Glowinski has a significant impact on Seattle – both good and bad with starting guards D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy unrestricted free agents.
JOHN CLAYTON | Jan 22, 2019
Clayton: Fans rightfully upset about Saints’ non-call, but NFL replay changes won’t help

The NFL is a reactionary league. So it shouldn't be a surprise that, based on what happened with the officiating in the conference championship games, fans can expect some changes this offseason.
JOHN CLAYTON | Jan 18, 2019
Clayton: Seahawks set up to improve on defense with draft, free agency

If you look at the 2019 free-agency and NFL Draft classes, all you see is defensive players. John Clayton explains why that may work out best for the Seahawks this offseason.