Frank Clark to the Seattle Seahawks Could Turn Ugly

With the Seattle Seahawks having to wait longer than any other NFL team to make its first selection in the 2015 NFL draft, the 12th Man was eager to finally hear the name of their first pick.

“The Pick”

After the announcement that former Michigan defensive end Frank Clark was their selection, there was likely silence, confusion, and then criticism.

Not too many Seahawks fans had Clark on their radar as someone who the team would consider drafting. Defensive end is a position of need, but not nearly as much as the offensive line (which lost two starters) or secondary depth (cost the Seahawks the Super Bowl).

With the pick being official our own Keith Myers examined how Clark would fit with the Seahawks.

Even with more pressing needs a legitimate pass rusher is going to be welcomed in Seattle with open arms, as that was a weakness the Seahawks showed last season, especially over the first half. Just don’t expect many to celebrate the selection of Clark like they would have almost any other pick.

“Cause For Concern”

The problem with taking the former Michigan Wolverine, and I say former because he was kicked off the team with just two games remaining in his college career, are his character concerns.

To be more specific, Clark has two incidents that we know of that caused many NFL teams to drop Clark out of the first round and in some cases, completely off of their draft board altogether.

The first red flag was a theft of a laptop his freshman year that resulted in a home invasion charge.

What really raises eyebrows is the second incident that involved recommended charges of domestic violence and assault. Police arrested Clark for the November 15th, 2014 incident even though Clark told officers that he never touched the alleged victim, Clark’s girlfriend, Diamond Hurt.

A more in-depth look at the incident can be seen here, but here is a brief description of what happened:

"According to Hurt, she and Clark began to argue while lying on the bed in their room at the Maui Sands Resort and Indoor Waterpark. She got angry, threw a TV remote control at him, and he responded by trying to restrain her on the bed. She told Curran that she tried to get loose by biting his nose. Then she said he pushed her head into the bed, they got off the bed and he punched her in the face, knocking her back and breaking a lamp. She stated that she threw an alarm clock at him as he prepared to leave the room.Her two juvenile brothers offered more graphic accounts to Curran, pinning more blame on Clark. One of the brothers told police that Clark drank at least a fifth of Hennessy. Hurt underwent a portable breath test that measured .000%.The brothers said they saw Clark hitting their sister and one said Clark had her against a wall, grabbing her by the throat, picking her off the ground and slamming her down."

“Why Take The Risk?”

I, along with nearly every Seahawks fan has learned to trust in what John Schneider and Pete Carroll pull off during the NFL draft. They’ve turned fifth round draft picks into All-Pro talent multiple times in their tenure with the organization.

This one pick just doesn’t sit right with me.

The front office has taken other players with troubled histories. That’s not the sole reason for my concern. For all I know, Frank Clark could be the victim here. In my half-dozen years working law enforcement, I came across many incidents where women falsely accused men of committing a crime such as assault or even rape.

I’m not saying that’s what I think happened here. But I’m not going to rule the possibility out either.

The fact that Clark had two run-ins with the police over less than a four-year stretch while in school is a major warning sign however. He’s a repeat offender.

The following quote from Seahawks general manager John Schneider is somewhat of a relief:

"There hasn’t been one player in this draft that we have spent more time researching and scrutinizing than Frank. That’s why we have provided Frank with this opportunity and are looking forward to him succeeding in our culture in Seattle."

That’s great, John. I’m glad that what you and your team found wasn’t serious enough to prevent you from drafting someone who could very well turn out to be a great pass rusher in the NFL.

But as we’ve seen with other young men in the league, fame and fortune won’t necessarily make problems go away. If Clark is put into another situation like the one we’re discussing now, how likely is it that he’ll react differently?

“The Fallout”

If he doesn’t, we could see a Ray Rice type incident occur yet again. But this time the Seattle Seahawks are the ones being judged by every news outlet and NFL fan for choosing such a troubled individual even though the warning signs were clearly there.

The Seattle Times’ Larry Stone wrote a column about Clark late last night where he states that he “doesn’t believe in Frank Clark,” and, “this is one instance, however, where faith in an organization that has earned the benefit of the doubt in virtually all other instances is something I just can’t muster.”

I agree with Stone on this one.

With a huge need waiting to be filled at another position and the repeated negative incidents with Clark, Seattle’s front office lost my faith and approval with this pick.

I’m in no way jumping off the wagon, just extremely disappointed with the road the Seahawks just turned down when they made their first pick in the 2015 draft.

Next: How Frank Clark Fits With The Seahawks

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