Seahawks OTAs keep going but Frank Clark does not
By Lee Vowell
The Seahawks are going through organized team activities (OTAs). Earl Thomas is not there. No surprise. But maybe Frank Clark not showing up is.
The Seahawks continue their OTAs. After the weekend, Seattle gets back at it from June 4-7. Then mandatory minicamp for veterans is June 12-14. Earl Thomas may not show for that either. And that is not the end of the world. But what exactly is Frank Clark doing?
If Clark is reading this – and I do not believe he is – I would ask him “why”? Look, Mr. Clark, Mr. Thomas has a lot of cache. He is probably the best free safety in the NFL and has been for years. Thomas has won a Super Bowl and been to another and been an integral part of Seattle’s success.
Clark has been a decent defensive end. He has 19 sacks in the last two seasons which ranks 14th in the NFL in that time. But he has been the third best defensive end on Seattle’s teams his entire career. He isn’t the player yet that Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett have been.
And yet Clark appears to be holding out for his next contract. This while still playing through his rookie contract. With Thomas, John Schneider might make a concession. Maybe. Possibly. But most likely not. With Clark, he simply hasn’t earned that same degree of respect yet.
Cliff Avril just now on @SportsRadioKJR talking about Frank Clark not attending OTA’s: “I think he’s showing he wants to get paid, as he should be. But I’m not even sure that works anymore.”
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) May 31, 2018
Let’s assume that Avril is speaking the full truth and not just talking for the sake of his new radio gig.
Clark has immense potential. His sack in 2017 of Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams after beating Andrew Whitworth around the edge was freakiness. But then Clark will go three game stretches where he is more or less invisible.
Now Clark wants to be paid like a top defensive end. Here is the simple truth: Should Clark get back to camp and show he is in this for player and team and then have a great 2018 – something like 13 or more sacks – then Seattle will happily give him a big next contract.
Next: Is the Seahawks LOB still really good?
But Seattle is also the team that took a chance on Clark. Clark had a domestic issue in his past when the Seahawks drafted him. These things don’t really matter when it comes to money, I know. But Seattle took a risk. Clark should too by getting into OTAs and playing his butt off this season.