Seattle Seahawks Welcome Back Frank Clark to Bolster Pass Rush: 'Natural Spot For Him'
RENTON, Wash. - When coach Pete Carroll broke the news that the Seattle Seahawks likely would be without standout edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu for the remainder of the season due to a pectoral injury on Monday, he downplayed the possibility of adding reinforcements from the outside.
But only two days after saying Seattle would try to fill the void left by Nwosu's absence internally, the chance to sign a familiar face in Frank Clark was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up. Remaining unsigned after being released by Denver earlier this month, in the aftermath of the injury, Carroll indicated John Schneider worked swiftly to bring back a reliable veteran the organization knows well and can plug-and-play in an immediate position of need.
"There’s a spot there that we had a shot with Frank and having background history with him," Carroll told reporters prior to Wednesday's practice. "It’s a natural spot for him to play with us and see if he can get in the rotation and help us out and we’ll see how it goes.”
Unlike other options who could have been acquired via trade or free agency who would have needed time to learn and acclimate to a new defense, Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt will be banking on Clark's previous stint with the Seahawks helping him hit the ground running in his return to the Pacific Northwest.
Selected in the second round by Seattle in the 2015 NFL Draft, Clark initially learned behind standout veterans Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, registering a trio of sacks in limited action as a rookie. Breaking out in a reserve role in 2016, he produced 10 sacks before becoming a full-time starter early in his third season with the franchise after Avril suffered a career-ending neck injury.
Thriving off the edge alongside defensive tackle Jarran Reed, Clark racked up nine sacks and 21 quarterback hits in his first full season as a starter. Heading towards free agency, he elevated his game to a whole other level in 2018, setting a new career-high with 13.5 sacks to help the team return to the playoffs.
Each enjoying career years together, Frank Clark and Jarran Reed eclipsed double digit sacks in 2018, helping the Seahawks return to the postseason.
© Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Once it became clear the two sides wouldn't be able to agree on a long-term deal, however, Schneider shipped Clark to the Chiefs for a first-round pick and future second-round pick in April 2019.
Though his overall numbers gradually declined in Kansas City, including producing only 4.5 sacks in a somewhat disappointing 2022 season, Clark starred during four deep playoff runs, moving into third all-time in postseason sacks while winning a pair of Super Bowl rings. A key cog on a championship defense who played at his best on the biggest stage, he also earned three Pro Bowl selections in four years with the franchise.
With the door opened for his return by Nwosu's unfortunate injury, Carroll loves that Clark will have a chance to bring his career full circle coming back to where his career started nearly a decade ago with a budding contender.
“Frank grew up with us," Carroll said. "It was a good process to see him come into the league and come in to being a young man and we had him for a lot of years there. It’s rewarding, he goes and wins a World Championship at a place and has a lot of success and does good stuff and then we get a chance to get him on the other end his career to see if he can come help us out some. It’s a good thing, it’s a really positive thing.”
From a fit perspective, Clark will have to mesh with a slightly different defense than the one he departed in 2018. With Hurtt at the controls, Seattle transitioned to a hybrid 3-4 scheme last season with overhanging outside linebackers rather than traditional defensive ends.
But while some positions have been impacted more than others by the scheme changes, Carroll said Clark shouldn't have to worry about much of a learning curve with his role being "very similar" to the one he played for the Seahawks in his first stint. The team won't be expecting him to come in and replace Nwosu's production by himself, instead viewing him as a quality rotational pass rusher who can contribute right out of the gate and help pick up some of the slack.
In addition, as Avril and Bennett did for him when he first came into the NFL showing him the ropes, Carroll hopes to see Clark take on a leadership role mentoring youngsters such as Boye Mafe and Derick Hall.
“He knows exactly the position that we’re asking him to play that we think the transition to fit into the spot, playing the outside backer spot and rushing the 4-3 stuff, just fits naturally," Carroll said. "His experience is important with such a young group of guys that he’s with now, so I’m hoping that will all fit together well.”
Given his familiarity with what Seattle will be asking him to do, the coaching staff has plenty of confidence in Clark being ready to play quickly, potentially suiting up as early as Sunday against the Browns.
Now 30 years old, the Seahawks will be keeping fingers crossed Clark enjoys a second-half career renaissance similar to Reed, who has been dominant in the trenches so far in his second stint with the franchise and already has four sacks in six games. In two games with the Broncos before being released, the veteran rusher only had two tackles and didn't produce a single quarterback pressure, continuing a multi-season trend of declining play.
But as evidenced by Reed's own revival after a down season by his standards in Green Bay, culture and system fit matter in the NFL. Excited for the chance to bring the band back together in Seattle under tough circumstances, Carroll hopes to see Clark rediscover the spark that made him a dangerous edge rusher in his first go-around in Seattle and leave his mark on another team with Super Bowl aspirations.
“His energetic nature, he’s really a terrific effort guy, explosive, big play, brought a lot of juice to the club and all," Carroll said. "There’s a lot of positive things that we have. I know he’s all fired up and ready, but we’re remembering the good stuff and wanting to make sure that he’s got a chance to help us.”
The Seahawks host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PT.
