5. The Frank Clark trade
Chiefs receive: DE Frank Clark, a 2019 third-round pick
Seahawks receive: 2019 first-round pick, 2019 third-round pick, 2020 second-round pick
The Chiefs’ trade for rising defensive end Frank Clark in 2019 was met with praise and understanding. That luster has worn over the years though.
A 25-year-old Clark had just posted a 13-sack season for the Seattle Seahawks, after nine- and ten-sack totals the two seasons prior. Seahawks general manager John Schneider said the team was preparing to keep Clark long-term, but a massive extension reset the market. The Dallas Cowboys inked defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to a record-setting deal which raised Clark’s asking price past what Seattle could afford. The Chiefs were not so bashful.
Kansas City was transitioning to a 4-3 base defense under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and Clark was a great fit. Plus, the Chiefs no longer had Justin Houston or Dee Ford coming off the edge, so they needed bodies and the right ones for a new scheme. Clark was that guy, and trading for him was wise.
Kansas City sent Seattle a package of selections worthy of Kevin Costner’s Draft Day performance. Taking the contract out of the picture, Kansas City did win this trade.
Seattle used the 2019 first-round pick on defensive end L.J. Collier, who still has not made a mark on the league. From that package of picks, he is the only player still on the Seahawks roster. Seattle did plenty of wheeling in dealing in the 2019 and 2020 NFL Drafts, sending their immediate return from Kansas City to the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets.
Meanwhile, Clark signed his huge contract and later won the Super Bowl in his first year as a Chief. The 2019 Kansas City Chiefs likely do not win that Super Bowl without Clark’s five postseason sacks—some coming at critical moments.
This trade is, was, and will always be a Veach win. Remove his contract from the situation. Veach acquired Clark, who had dominated opponents for three years in Seattle, for a package of picks that turned into nothing for the Seahawks. Winning that Super Bowl ring made this trade with it alone. Anything else is gravy on top.