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Frank Clark

Seahawks Waive Frank Clark, Place S Jamal Adams, WR Dee Eskridge On IR

December 30th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

After a short reunion in Seattle, the Seahawks have opted to part ways with veteran pass rusher Frank Clark, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The former three-time Pro Bowler will hit the waiver wire and potentially be available to sign for a playoff run. Additionally, the team will spend the remainder of the season without safety Jamal Adams and wide receiver Dee Eskridge, announcing that both players have been placed on injured reserve.

The Seahawks drafted Clark back in the 2015 second round and franchise-tagged him four years later, but the team executed a tag-and-trade transaction to send the former Michael Bennett–Cliff Avril sidekick to the Chiefs. While the Chiefs were viewed as perhaps the lead candidate to sign Clark, the recent Bronco found his way back to the Pacific Northwest. Injuries and poor fit led to his departure from Denver, so established fits like Seattle and Kansas City were really the best options for Clark.

Adams has missed the team’s last two games with a knee injury, and he will now miss their final two games of the season, as well. Despite Adams’ return to practice this week, head coach Pete Carroll made the call, determining that Adams was not doing well enough to play. This continues a troubling trend as Adams has not played a full, healthy season since joining the Seahawks three years ago. After missing almost all of the 2022 season, Adams will now have missed eight more games in 2023.

With continuing large cap hits over the next two seasons, there’s been plenty of speculation that Adams’ injury issues could lead to him becoming a salary cap casualty. Even if Seattle opts not to take that route, Adams himself considered calling it quits after last year’s season-ending quadriceps injury. More injury trouble this year may push Adams even closer to retirement. Regardless, this may have been the last season that we see Adams in navy and green.

Eskridge will now see a stint on IR for the third straight year to start his career. It’s safe to say that the Seahawks have not quite seen the return on investment out of their former second-round pick. Including a six-game suspension to start his 2023 campaign, Eskridge will have missed 27 of a possible 51 games since being drafted in 2021. He failed to catch his lone target of this year and only has 17 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in his career.

In order to fill the three newly vacated roster spots, the Seahawks have signed linebacker Patrick O’Connell, safety Ty Okada, and offensive tackle Jake Curhan to the active roster from the practice squad. With linebacker Jordyn Brooks ruled out for this week’s matchup, O’Connell should provide some added depth at the position. Additionally, Seattle announced that nose tackle Austin Faoliu and cornerback Kelvin Joseph will join the above three as standard gameday elevations from the practice squad this weekend.

Seahawks Sign Frank Clark

October 26th, 2023 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 26: Clark has passed his physical, Anderson reports. As a result, his Seahawks reunion is now official. Clark may be in Seattle’s lineup as early as Sunday, Anderson adds. With Nwosu out for the remainder of the campaign, a notable workload should await Clark in his return to the Emerald City.

Field Yates of ESPN provides a further report with contract details for the deal. Clark’s deal is a one-year, $1.17MM deal that will be prorated over the remaining 11 weeks of the season. This will be in addition to the $3.75MM Clark has already been paid by the Broncos this year.

OCTOBER 25: A Frank Clark reunion will end up taking place, just not the one previously rumored. The Seahawks will reunite with the veteran pass rusher, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.

The Seahawks drafted Clark back in the 2015 second round and franchise-tagged him four years later, but the team executed a tag-and-trade transaction to send the former Michael Bennett–Cliff Avril sidekick to the Chiefs. While the Chiefs were viewed as perhaps the lead candidate to sign Clark, the recent Broncos cut will make his way back to the Pacific Northwest. This marks the third defensive reunion to commence in Seattle this year; Clark follows Bobby Wagner and Jarran Reed back to town.

This is a one-year deal, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, with NFL.com adding Clark will be added to the 53-man roster. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson first reported Clark, 30, intended to sign if his visit went well. This process has accelerated quickly, and it almost definitely stems from Uchenna Nwosu‘s upcoming surgery. The recently extended outside linebacker suffered a pectoral injury that will require season-ending surgery.

While the two Super Bowls Clark won in Kansas City will tie him to that organization closely when his career wraps, the 2015 draftee’s best production came in Seattle. Clark went 0-for-4 in double-digit sack seasons as a Chief; his most recent 10-plus-sack slate came with the Seahawks in 2018. Clark registered a career-high 13 sacks in 2018, leading to the tag, and also posted 10 in 2016 despite mostly working as a backup. The Seahawks will likely move Nwosu to IR soon, but this Clark move will still ensure a four-second-rounder arrangement exists at outside linebacker. Clark will join Boye Mafe, Darrell Taylor and Derick Hall upon coming back to Washington.

Drafting Clark months after a domestic violence arrest led him off the Michigan roster, the Seahawks were leery of giving the former No. 63 overall pick a big-ticket extension back in 2019. They signed off on a trade that brought back first- and second-round picks, along with a third-round pick swap. The Seahawks chose hopeful D-end replacement L.J. Collier in the 2019 first round; that proved to be one of the John Schneider era’s worst picks. Seattle did better with the 2020 second-rounder, trading down with Green Bay to draft guard Damien Lewis. With the 2019 Round 3 pick swap, the team traded up for linebacker Cody Barton.

In the years since Clark’s Seattle stay, he became the NFL’s No. 3 all-time playoff sacks leader. His 13.5 postseason QB drops rank behind only Willie McGinest (16) and Bruce Smith (14.5). Clark’s regular seasons in Kansas City left much to be desired, as he did not quite live up to the five-year, $104MM extension he signed upon being traded to the Chiefs. Clark topped out at eight sacks in a Chiefs season; that came back in 2019. Clark accepted a pay cut to stay in 2022, and while he added 2.5 playoff sacks this past season, the Chiefs still made him a cap casualty in March.

Clark’s Broncos fit did not pan out. Denver gave the street free agent a one-year, $5MM deal but used him as a backup to start the season. Coming off the bench behind Randy Gregory and Jonathon Cooper, Clark soon suffered a groin injury in practice that sidelined him for three games. Upon returning in Week 5, he saw only 11 defensive snaps. Playing time became an issue for Clark, and after shopping the rotational edge rusher in trades, the Broncos agreed to cut him. Despite a rumor about a Chiefs return, Clark will attempt to help his initial NFL team back to the playoffs.

Nwosu agreed to a three-year, $45MM extension in July but is out of the picture for the 2023 Seahawks. Mafe has taken a step forward in his second season, having totaled a team-high four sacks. Taylor tallied 9.5 sacks last season but has worked as a backup behind Nwosu and Mafe this year. The Seahawks chose Hall 36th overall in April.

Latest On Broncos’ Deadline Plans; Interest In Jerry Jeudy Cooling?

October 23rd, 2023 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos snapped their skid of home losses, holding off the Packers in Week 7. But thanks to the team’s blown leads against the Raiders, Commanders and Jets, it is 2-5 heading into its Chiefs rematch. Already moving on from Frank Clark and Randy Gregory, the Broncos will have more decisions to make soon.

Although Sean Payton‘s team is believed to be open for business, some pushback has come with regards to how far it will go to stockpile draft capital at the midseason point. The Broncos are prepared to listen on anyone — with the possible exception of Patrick Surtain, who is not believed to be available — but are not planning a sell-off, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes. Barring big offers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the team is not on track to be an aggressive seller.

[RELATED: Assessing Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton’s Trade Candidacies]

No team has parted with a higher-profile batch of talent in-season over the past five years than the Broncos, who have moved Demaryius Thomas (2018), Emmanuel Sanders (2019), Von Miller (2021) and Bradley Chubb (2022). And Payton will surely want to recoup some draft capital, especially considering what the franchise needed to give up for him and Russell Wilson. Despite George Paton‘s GM title, Russini confirms Payton will be closely involved in any trade. Considering what the Broncos gave up in terms of compensation and draft capital to land Payton, it has been widely assumed Paton has drifted to second in the personnel hierarchy.

Defensive pieces should be considered more likely to go, per Russini. Denver has a Pro Bowl safety, in Justin Simmons, and veteran linebacker Josey Jewell is in a contract year. None of the Broncos’ post-Gregory/Clark edge rushers are in walk years, however. Defensive tackle D.J. Jones is signed through 2024, though he was added to play in Ejiro Evero‘s defense. Simmons would stand to generate the most interest, given his status as one of the NFL’s best safeties, but Kareem Jackson‘s four-game suspension effectively takes him off the market. The 35-year-old veteran has not played particularly well this season, but his absence — coupled with Caden Sterns‘ season-ending injury in Week 1 — may prompt the Broncos to stand down on Simmons..

More buzz has surrounded Denver’s offensive talent, but the Broncos are not necessarily committed to moving Jerry Jeudy. Although the former first-round pick landed in trade rumors last October and throughout the offseason, he is unlikely to generate an offer close to the level the organization sought. Denver wanted a first-rounder for Jeudy this offseason, but his slow start probably will not lead any team to hand over such a return. Even a second-rounder will probably be difficult to come by, with Denver7’s Troy Renck noting interest has diminished in the talented but inconsistent receiver. While interest remains, Renck mentions a third-rounder as potential compensation. The Broncos drafted Jeudy 15th overall three years ago.

Jeudy’s $12.99MM fifth-year option salary is fully guaranteed; that component has been an issue for teams. Courtland Sutton has fared better this season, and the sixth-year wideout played a lead role in helping the Broncos beat the Packers on Sunday. Sutton, 28, has been viewed as less likely to be traded than Jeudy. But the Broncos still having Jeudy under contract in 2024 gives them time. Sutton is signed through 2025, and with no guarantees on the books beyond this year, flexibility exists in the four-year, $60MM contract.

The Broncos should be expected to make a seller’s trade or two, per Renck, and another loss to the Chiefs would seemingly accelerate a desire to collect a couple of assets. The Broncos also travel to Buffalo after their Week 9 bye. With Simmons, Jeudy and left tackle Garett Bolles signed through 2024, the team will need to weigh its trade chips’ potential future contributions against any offers that come in before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Regarding one of the players the Broncos already jettisoned, Clark remains a free agent. After dangling the ninth-year veteran in trades, the Broncos moved on via release. Payton said Clark grumbled about a lack of playing time, which led to the cut.

“Frank was frustrated with the snaps, or lack thereof,’’ Payton said, via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. “We brought him in hoping that we could get more from him. In fairness to Frank, I don’t think he ever felt like he was getting enough in a row to play well, and yet, some of the other younger guys were earning those spots.”

Clark, 30, did not have much of a chance to see steady snaps. The Broncos used him as a backup in Week 1, and he missed the next three games due to a groin injury sustained in practice. Clark, who has been linked to a Chiefs reunion, played just 11 defensive snaps in his return to action against the Jets. The Broncos activated Baron Browning off the reserve/PUP list Saturday and teamed him with starters Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto in Week 7.

Frank Clark Likely To Return To Chiefs?

October 13th, 2023 at 7:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

As they recently did with Randy Gregory, the Broncos have elected to quickly move on from Frank Clark. The latter edge rusher is set to hit free agency, and his next destination may be a familiar one.

Clark’s release will hit the transactions wire on Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. Once that takes place, he will be free to sign anywhere in a bid to find a better playing situation and in doing so rebuild some of his value ahead of his next contract in March. The Broncos were unable to find a trade partner willing to give up assets to acquire the two-time Super Bowl winner, and the team with which he won those titles could bring him back.

Schefter reports that “the most likely scenario” in Clark’s case is a reunion with the Chiefs. The 30-year-old spent the past four seasons in Kansas City as the team’s top outside pass rusher before making the intra-divisional move in the offseason. Clark signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Broncos but he recently agreed to a restructure which would have made his pact easier to absorb by an acquiring team. Now, Kansas City or any other interested party will be able to add him on any set of new terms.

Clark’s best seasons in terms of regular season sack totals came during his time in Seattle, but he proved himself to be an effective compliment to defensive tackle Chris Jones during his Kansas City tenure. He earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods with the Chiefs from 2019-21, collecting 10.5 total sacks in the playoffs across his time there. A reunion would make plenty of sense for both parties, but the defending champions have fared quite well without Clark so far.

Kansas City ranks in the top five in both scoring and total defense in 2023. The 5-1 team’s new-look edge rush group (which is still led in very large part by the presence of Jones along the interior) has racked up 17 sacks. Recent first-round defensive ends George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah have combined to register only two sacks, though, so a role would be available for Clark if he were to trek back to Kansas City. The Chiefs currently have $3.8MM in cap space, so any potential Clark agreement would need to be a modest one.

Broncos To Release OLB Frank Clark

October 13th, 2023 at 8:40am CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 13: Unlike the Gregory last call, no trade partner emerged here. The Broncos are officially releasing Clark on Friday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. With the trade deadline still nearly three weeks away, Clark’s vested-veteran status will send him straight to free agency. Inactive for Thursday night’s game, the ninth-year veteran closes his Denver tenure with 36 defensive snaps.

OCTOBER 12: The Broncos opened the season with two 2015 second-rounders residing as their highest-profile edge rushers. By Week 7, both are likely to be out of the picture. After the Broncos dealt Randy Gregory to the 49ers, they are eyeing a separation from Frank Clark.

Rumored to be a trade candidate, Clark will not face the Chiefs tonight due to what the Broncos’ injury report classifies as an illness. The Broncos, however, are preparing to move on from Clark — via trade or release — in the near future, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports.

Clark, 30, restructured his one-year, $5MM contract recently, per Yates, giving up $1.69MM in guaranteed salary. The move trims Clark’s $3.5MM base salary to the prorated veteran minimum ($841K), NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. This restructure will make Clark’s contract easier to move. Clark returned to action last week against the Jets, coming back after sustaining a groin injury in practice. Holding him out of tonight’s game will protect against a reinjury.

The former Seahawks and Chiefs edge rusher has generated some trade interest, and after the Gregory move, had been viewed as available. While Clark notched two double-digit sack seasons in Seattle and made memorable contributions during Kansas City’s playoff runs, he does not have a sack or a QB hit in his limited Denver run.

Although Clark will become an interesting hired gun of sorts moving forward, he spent several weeks in free agency waiting for other edge dominoes to fall. Leonard Floyd‘s one-year, $7MM Bills pact led to the Broncos giving Clark a one-year, $5MM deal shortly after they made Brandon McManus a post-June 1 cut. On that note, the Broncos should not expect too much in trade compensation here. Though, reducing Clark’s salary to the minimum will certainly help on that front. Denver collected a 2024 sixth-rounder from San Francisco for Gregory, whom the team was prepared to cut.

After calling out Gregory for poor effort in a 70-20 demolition at the Dolphins’ hands in Week 3, the Broncos benched him and moved 2022 second-round pick Nik Bonitto into the lineup. Bonitto is on a tear as a starter, combining for 4.5 sacks over the past two games. The Broncos have used 2021 seventh-round pick Jonathon Cooper (three sacks) as a starter since Week 1, with Clark coming off the bench in the team’s opener. Baron Browning, a 2021 third-rounder whom the team converted from inside linebacker last year, remains on the reserve/PUP list and will not play tonight. But Browning is likely on track to debut in Week 7, Denver7’s Troy Renck adds.

Deteriorating fits notwithstanding, a suddenly woeful Broncos defense could probably use Gregory and Clark — at least while Browning is out. These separations signal more moves are likely coming for a 1-4 team. While Sean Payton stopped short of saying the Broncos were shopping veterans, other clubs believe they are open for business ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline. Trade-rumor mainstays Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton are likely returning to the news cycle, with Renck adding Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson are two other names to monitor.

Clark sits behind only Willie McGinest and Bruce Smith in postseason sacks, with 13.5, but he did not live up to the five-year, $104MM deal the Chiefs gave him following a 2019 tag-and-trade transaction. Clark topped out at eight sacks in a season and has not tallied more than six in a single campaign since 2019. Two arrests on gun charges in 2021 led to a two-game suspension last year, and the Chiefs cut him this offseason. Still, Clark figures to land in a contending team’s pass-rushing rotation soon.

The Broncos picked up the pieces after John Elway‘s 1999 retirement far more quickly than they have post-Peyton Manning, and the years since the latter’s 2016 exit led to Denver becoming this period’s most prolific deadline seller. After dealing Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Von Miller and Bradley Chubb over the past five years, it appears the Broncos will keep going as Payton attempts to build for the future. Jeudy and Simmons are signed through 2024, with Jeudy’s fifth-year option ($12.99MM) fully guaranteed. Sutton’s four-year, $60MM deal runs through 2025; Jackson is on a one-year contract.

Broncos ‘Open For Business’ In Trades?

October 11th, 2023 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

On the whole, the Broncos’ offense has submitted far more competent work compared to a perplexing 2022 season. After finishing last in scoring last season, Denver is 10th through five games. But the defense — a reliable facet for most of the franchise’s post-Peyton Manning years — has faceplanted, ranking last across the board and leading the way in a 1-4 start. Naturally, teams are monitoring the Broncos ahead of the trade deadline.

Denver has made a habit of selling at recent deadlines, unloading Demaryius Thomas (2018), Emmanuel Sanders (2019), Von Miller (2021) and Bradley Chubb (2022). They have already cut bait on Randy Gregory, dealing him to the 49ers. Reports ahead of Week 5 indicated the Broncos were not preparing to be early sellers and that offensive players were not in line to be moved, but after the team dropped another home game, it appears potential buyers believe the retooling squad will be prepared to move assets.

Teams believe Denver will be “open for business” in trades, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who indicates the team is prepared to listen to offers. While recent reports pointed to the Broncos not being ready to unload key offensive pieces, Graziano adds the team is expected to once again listen to offers for Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton along with talent on defense. The Broncos are not interested in trading Patrick Surtain, per Graziano, as the franchise naturally views the All-Pro cornerback as a building block. But Denver supporting-casters are likely to come up frequently in rumors, especially if the team’s losing streak against the Chiefs continues Thursday night.

“We’re not looking to do business with any of our players. That doesn’t prevent teams from calling at times, so we just — you pick the phone up, that’s kind of where it’s at,” Sean Payton said, via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold. “We’ve got a good handle on this current roster and our vision for the roster a year from now, that’s the part about improving and getting better.”

GM George Paton was at the controls when the team unloaded Miller (for second- and third-round Rams picks) and Chubb (for Dolphins first- and fourth-rounders, with Chase Edmonds included as salary filler). The third-year GM is almost definitely second in command to Payton this year, and with the longtime Saints coach not present when the most of the team’s trade pieces were initially acquired, it is logical to expect the Broncos to strongly consider moving talent before the Oct. 31 deadline. Players are leery of a potential teardown, NFL.com’s James Palmer notes.

Confirming a weekend report that Frank Clark is likely available, Palmer adds players took notice at the Gregory trade. The Broncos cut an edge rusher who began the season as a starter, agreeing to pay almost all of Gregory’s salary — a tactic they used with Miller to increase trade compensation from the Rams — to convince the 49ers to acquire him. The Broncos accepted a Day 3 pick swap in 2024 for Gregory, who is tied to a five-year, $69.5MM contract. The team will undoubtedly be looking for better returns for other trade chips.

Jeudy and Sutton came up as chips early this offseason, with the Broncos wanting a first-rounder for the former and a second for the latter. The Broncos engaged in “a lot” of conversations about Jeudy and Sutton this offseason, Graziano adds, and the Ravens moved close to acquiring Sutton before their Odell Beckham Jr. signing. Based on the starters’ early-season showings, those asks seem farfetched. Jeudy has totaled 208 receiving yards in four games; Sutton is at 229 in five. Both have submitted better work, but neither has been consistent in Payton’s offense just yet.

Payton’s Saints teams relied on WR1s Marques Colston and Michael Thomas, but his first Broncos squad has spread the ball around. Second-round rookie Marvin Mims leads the team in receiving yards (246), despite being a part-time player on offense. Moving one of the regulars would open the door for Mims, though the Oklahoma-developed deep threat has a clear WR3 window as is. Nevertheless, he has only played 28% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps.

Left tackle Garett Bolles has come up loosely in rumors in the past, including over the weekend, and the Broncos do have swingman Cameron Fleming as insurance. Though, the team experienced rampant O-line health issues last season. Bolles has recovered from the broken leg that ended his 2022 campaign, starting all five games this year. Bolles, 31, is a seventh-year starter who is signed through 2024. Eighth-year safety Justin Simmons turns 30 next month; his $15.25MM-per-year contract runs through 2024. The Pro Bowler is tied to a $14.4MM base salary.

Broncos’ Frank Clark Generating Trade Interest; Team Not Inclined To Trade Offensive Talent

October 8th, 2023 at 10:33am CST by Rory Parks

We heard just last week that the 1-3 Broncos are not planning to be early sellers in advance of the October 31 trade deadline. Naturally, the team’s decision-making will be impacted quite a bit by how it fares over the next several weeks, and as ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes, Denver has received calls about a number of players on the roster and could be an active participant in deadline activity.

Specifically, the Broncos are willing to listen to offers for any defensive player, according to sources around the league. The team just dealt edge defender Randy Gregory to the 49ers for a minimal return, and fellow pass rusher Frank Clark could be next. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Clark has drawn interest from rival teams, and if he performs well in the coming weeks, that interest will only increase.

Clark was released by the Chiefs prior to the opening of free agency in March, and after he lingered for a couple of months on the open market, he and the Broncos agreed to a one-year contract in June. The plan was for Clark and Gregory to spearhead the Denver pass rush, but as has been the case for most aspects of Sean Payton‘s Mile High tenure thus far, things have not gone according to plan.

Gregory played in just six games in 2022, his first season in Denver, and his lack of effort in the club’s historic drubbing at the hands of the Dolphins in Week 3 of the current campaign led to his losing his starting job for the Broncos’ Week 4 tilt with the Bears (although he entered that game in the second defensive series and ultimately played nearly half of the defensive snaps). Pro Football Focus has Gregory graded as a bottom-10 edge defender through the first four games of the year, and the Broncos needed to eat nearly all of his 2023 salary just to coax a late-round pick swap in 2024 out of San Francisco.

Clark, meanwhile, played in the Broncos’ season-opening loss to the Raiders but suffered a partial abductor tear in practice several days later. He is expected to be back on the field for Denver’s bout with the Jets today, which could be an audition of sorts for potential trade partners. Most of Clark’s compensation came in the form of a signing bonus, so an acquiring team would be on the hook for only the remaining portion of his $1.21MM base salary.

Wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy have generated trade interest in the past several years, and Schefter expects teams to again inquire on both players as October rolls along. Likewise, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com hears that GM George Paton has fielded calls from clubs that believe Denver could be in sell mode, with those calls focusing on Clark, Sutton, Jeudy, and LT Garett Bolles. Quarterback Russell Wilson has not been the subject of any trade inquiries.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the Broncos are not looking to move any of their offensive talent at present. As the team currently ranks last in both total defense and points allowed, it makes sense that Paton would be more inclined to move defensive pieces.

Latest On Broncos’ Frank Clark

September 28th, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Frank Clark hasn’t seen the field since Week 1, and the Broncos defensive end explained his absence today. While Clark had been listed on the injury report with a hip injury, the veteran revealed that he actually suffered a partial tear of his abductor, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

Clark suffered the injury during a September 13 practice, and he admitted that the subsequent MRI results were shocking and “worse than we thought.” Clark also noted that while he generally “play[s] through everything,” he was ultimately sidelined by a Grade 3 tear.

Fortunately, it sounds like the 30-year-old is on the mend and is aiming to make his return next Sunday against the Jets.

“That’s my goal,” Clark said (via Tomasson). “I wanted to be back sometime this week. But you know how it is (with) injuries.. Next week it’s looking like I’ll be back on the field having fun again.”

Clark earned Pro Bowl nods during each of his first three seasons in Kansas City, but that streak came to an end in 2022. The veteran finished the campaign with 39 tackles and five sacks, and he was cut by the Chiefs back in March. The former second-round pick won a pair of Super Bowls during his time in Kansas City, including the 2022 run where he added another 2.5 sacks in three games.

Clark caught on with the Broncos back in June and was expected to provide some veteran depth on the edge. During Week 1, Clark served as a backup to Randy Gregory and Jonathon Cooper, with the free agent acquisition appearing in 25 defensive snaps.

Injury Notes: Clark, Dulcich, Eagles

September 14th, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Frank Clark will be sidelined for a few weeks. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Broncos defensive end will miss “a couple weeks” after suffering a hip injury during yesterday’s practice.

Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like this is a long-term issue, and there’s been no indication that Clark will land on injured reserve. Per Rapoport, the veteran is considered week-to-week.

The former Pro Bowler was cut by the Broncos back in March before eventually landing in Denver. As Troy Renck of Denver7 notes, Clark has struggled to establish a role in Denver, with the 30-year-old serving as a situational pass rusher during the season opener. Clark finished that contest with a pair of tackles while appearing in 25 defensive snaps.

This comes with Baron Browning sitting on PUP, so Clark’s role could be made even more uncertain when his teammate returns. A few weeks off the field probably won’t help his case for a significant role in Denver.

2022 ended Clark’s three-year stretch of earning Pro Bowl nods, but he was still productive with the Chiefs. In 15 games, the pass rusher compiled 39 tackles and five sacks. He showed up during Kansas City’s run to a Super Bowl championship, collecting another seven tackles and 2.5 sacks in three games.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • Greg Dulcich is once again dealing with a hamstring injury. After missing seven games for the Broncos during the 2022 season, the tight end will once again miss multiple weeks while dealing with a hamstring injury in the same leg, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The organization intends to take it slow with Dulcich, meaning it could be a bit before he returns to the field. The 2022 third-round pick finished his rookie campaign with 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns.
  • A trio of Eagles players were ruled out early for Thursday Night Football. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported yesterday that running back Kenneth Gainwell (ribs), cornerback James Bradberry (concussion), and safety Reed Blankenship (ribs) would all be sidelined for Philly’s Week 2 matchup against the Vikings. The Eagles did get some good news, however, with defensive tackle Fletcher Cox being declared active for tonight’s game after being listed as questionable with a rib injury.
  • Rams wideout Puka Nacua didn’t practice today thanks to an oblique injury, according to Schefter. The rookie fifth-round pick was a standout during his NFL debut, garnering 15 targets from Matthew Stafford. Nacua ultimately finished the contest with 10 catches for 119 yards. With Cooper Kupp sidelined, the Rams may need to dig into their wide receiver depth against the 49ers.
  • Patriots cornerback Jack Jones landed on injured reserve before the season opener, keeping him off the field for at least the first month of the season. Per Albert Breer of TheMMQB, the 2022 fourth-round pick has an injury split in his contract, meaning the organization can lower Jones’ base salary from $870K to $475K as long as he sits on IR. That ends up being a loss of $22K per week for Jones.

AFC Rumors: Quessenberry, Jones, Meyers, Anudike-Uzomah

August 19th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bills seemingly signed veteran offensive tackle Brandon Shell with the intention that he would plug in as a full-time starter, much like he had done in Miami, Seattle, and New York over his career. Shell’s sudden retirement decision days ago threw a bit of a wrench in those plans.

At left tackle, Dion Dawkins slots in as the obvious left tackle starter, as he has since his rookie year. The starter across from him, for right now, is currently Spencer Brown. Brown has started 24 games over his first two years in the league, but the ability of the former third-round pick to start long term has yet to be proven.

If Brown struggles or if he or Dawkins go down with injury, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports that David Quessenberry is expected to slot into the primary backup, swing tackle role. Buffalo doesn’t have a ton of depth beyond Quessenberry, and this late in the season, that’s not too likely to change.

Tommy Doyle and Ryan Van Demark both sit on the depth chart behind Quessenberry and should make a push for the initial 53-man roster, if not solely due to the lack of depth. But Quessenberry should be the first name off the bench in the case that Brown or Dawkins aren’t there for any reason.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the AFC, starting with another team in the AFC East:

  • The Patriots have been operating the past two weeks without veteran starting cornerback Jonathan Jones. The long-time staple in New England’s secondary has been absent with an undisclosed injury. Luckily, whatever the ailment is, Karen Guregian of MassLive reports that Jones is expected to be back for the team’s regular season opener. The Patriots are reportedly being careful with him, but the plan is for him to be starting a couple Sundays from now.
  • Last month, the Raiders concluded a deal that would eventually help them bring in veteran cornerback Marcus Peters. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the team converted $3.92MM of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers‘s base salary for 2023 into a signing bonus and added two voidable years. The move takes his base salary down from $5MM in 2023 to $1.08MM but freed up $3.14MM of cap space, helping Las Vegas to continue building their roster this offseason.
  • Staying in the AFC West, the rich got richer when the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs added Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah at the end of the first round this past April. Most of the team’s pass rushing comes from interior lineman Chris Jones, but with Frank Clark gone, a starting role was open across from George Karlaftis III. Kansas City signed Charles Omenihu to potentially fill that role, but he is set to serve a six-game suspension to start the season. Still, according to The Athletic contributor Nate Taylor’s recent update, the plan for Anudike-Uzomah appears to be for him to appear out of a rotation. The team may explore adding an additional veteran pass rusher to help holdover the role in Omenihu’s absence, but in the long run, they don’t want to rush Anudike-Uzomah out on the field until he’s ready.
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