Why the Kansas City Chiefs should not trade for Frank Clark

The Kansas City Chiefs need a pass rusher after getting rid of Dee Ford and Justin Houston, but they should stay away from Seattle Seahawk’s Frank Clark

The Kansas City Chiefs have been in the middle of plenty of trade rumors over the offseason. Most recently they have been linked to Seattle Seahawks pass rusher Frank Clark. After jettisoning both Dee Ford and longtime fan favorite Justin Houston, it would be logical that Brett Veach and the Chiefs would want to acquire another pass rusher. The Seahawks also seem to be willing to deal the 26-year-old after extending quarterback Russel Wilson to the tune of $140 million over the next four seasons.

So what is the hold up on a trade? Well, Seattle currently only have four draft picks in the 2019 NFL draft, and want to use this opportunity to regain some of their lost capital. Reportedly the Seahawks are looking for a package that includes at least a first round pick. Wanting a first round pick for a player at a premium position and coming off of a career season usually would not be unheard of; in Clark’s case though, different factors are making teams hesitant to pull the trigger.

The most important part for Kansas City, in particular, is the issue of Clark’s past. Before Clark was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft, he had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. The first incident happened during Clark’s 2012 college season. He was charged with a felony for home invasion, Clark was sentenced to one year of probation after the event, but was still allowed to play that season for the Michigan Wolverines. Frank again found himself arrested in 2014 after being involved in a domestic violence incident. This ended with Clark only pleading guilty for disorderly conduct, but the officers that investigated the incident disagreed with the prosecution’s assessment of the situation.

Clark is also not a fan of rehashing his past. When reporter Natalie Weiner happened to bring these incidents up while writing about Greg Hardy, Clark decided to send her this tweet.

Clark ended up apologizing for the tweet. But this social media fiasco was not Clark’s only issue in 2017. He also punched fellow teammate Germain Ifedi in the face during a training camp fight which caused Ifedi to miss some time while his mouth healed.

These incidents make it almost impossible for the Chiefs to trade for Clark. Kansas City’s star wide receiver Tyreek Hill is currently in the midst of a juvenile court case that has caused him to temporarily lose custody of his son. This is coming after the Chiefs had to release star running back Kareem Hunt for kicking a woman in a hotel during the offseason last year. Adding Clark to the roster right now would be a gigantic PR nightmare for the Chiefs—especially at the reported price of a first and second-round pick.

Even if none of the off the field issues bother Veach and company, what the Seahawks are asking for is steep. The current belief is if the Chiefs traded for Clark they would send Seattle the 29th overall pick and the 63rd overall pick. If we look at the draft value trade chart that is equivalent of the 18th overall pick. If Veach really wishes to trade away draft capital to get a pass rusher, trading up to 18 would give the Chiefs a good shot of doing that, without having to worry about any issues off the field

Finally, there is the issue of paying Clark once the Chiefs have traded for him. He would be looking for something similar to Demarcus Lawrence’s contract which currently stands at $105 million with $65 million guaranteed. The idea that the Kansas City would give up draft capital, financial capital, and take a gigantic public relations hit just doesn’t make any sense. Yes, Clark did have 13 sacks this season and is one of the best young pass rushers in football. Sometimes though, the things that happen off the field outweigh the production that can be had on the field.