Frank Clark has less value than Earl Thomas, says USA Today

Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark gets ranked lower than Earl Thomas in USA Today’s list of best NFL free agents. This seems dumb.

Everybody has a list of the best free agents in any NFL offseason. This is an easy list and creates buzz. Plus, it gets reads. But a writer doesn’t have to be correct in his rankings. And having Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark ranked lower than Seahawks safety Earl Thomas in a free agent listing for 2019 is simply odd and wrong. Yet, this is exactly what USA Today has done.

In USA Today’s ranking of the 19 best free agents for the 2019 offseason, Thomas ranks one spot ahead of Clark. This isn’t simply incorrect because Thomas is a better player than Clark. Thomas may be the one with the more physical talent. But that isn’t more important in the grand scheme of the NFL.

Safeties in the NFL are not as important as edge rushers are. Plus, Clark is younger than Thomas and plays in a position of greater need. Clark ranks eighth in USA Today’s rankings. Three defensive ends rank ahead of Clark. Those ends are Jadeveon Clowney, Demarcus Lawrence and Trey Flowers. Fair enough, though Clark is better than Flowers.

Edge rusher Clark is younger than safety Thomas, though. And he has remained healthier than Thomas over the last few seasons. Specifically for the Seahawks, they need to extend Clark and not Thomas. Both would be great if re-signed. But Clark is a must to have in Seattle for several more years.

The odd thing is why USA Today would have Thomas ranked above Clark. Any NFL observer should know the value of a productive edge rusher who is four years younger than a safety. The truth is that Clark is more important than Thomas. Edge rushers are always more important than safeties and shall remain so.

As far as the Seahawks are concerned, extending Clark this offseason needs to be their top priority. Seattle signing Thomas is not even very important as the Seahawks did fine without Thomas after his week four leg injury. Clark will continue to help Seattle be better in the future. Thomas? Not so much.