HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Raiders To Re-Sign DT Johnathan Hankins

March 10th, 2019 at 6:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

This will not win the Raiders’ weekend news cycle, but Johnathan Hankins agreed to terms to stay in the Bay Area. Hankins will stay with the Raiders on a two-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Hankins was scheduled to be a free agent for the third time in three offseasons, and his most recent stay on the market was extensive. Following a release from the Colts after one season, Hankins did not agree to terms elsewhere until September.

In 2017, he lingered in free agency after the first wave but signed a $9MM-AAV Colts deal. He will eschew another stay on the market.

Oakland initially inked Hankins to a one-year pact after Week 1 of last season. The parties will now work together again in 2019, with Hankins likely in line to stay a first-unit player under Paul Guenther. The second-year Oakland DC wanted the mammoth lineman back, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter).

Hankins started 14 games for the Raiders last season, doing so following his 2017 work as a Colts starter and three-year run as a Giants first-stringer. Despite going into his seventh season, Hankins is only set to turn 27 this offseason. He graded out as one of the league’s best interior defenders as a Colt, and although Pro Football Focus did not view his 2018 work with the Raiders in the same light (No. 76 out of 112 full-time interior defenders), the Raiders will use some of their extensive cap space to retain him.

The former second-round pick will now have a full offseason to work in Guenther’s system, a 4-3 look like he played with the Giants, this year.

Jets Interested In Matt Paradis, Mitch Morse

March 10th, 2019 at 6:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even after the Jets’ trade for Kelechi Osemele, they remain interested in improving their offensive line. Armed with the second-most cap space in the NFL, the Jets were expected to pursue multiple starters up front. Center appears to be a priority.

The Jets are interested in this year’s top center UFAs-to-be, with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reporting the team has Matt Paradis and Mitch Morse on its radar.

Spencer Long signed with the Jets last year, but he’s now with the Bills after underwhelming as a Jet. Paradis and Morse have longer track records of success, each being four-year starters. The Broncos appear set to let Paradis hit the market, despite their longtime starter profiling as their top free agent, and the Chiefs are likely to let Morse walk because of the major re-ups for other homegrown talents coming relatively soon.

Having started every game with the Broncos since the start of the 2015 season, Paradis broke his fibula to end his 2018 season. But he is still likely to command a top-market contract, having been one of the NFL’s top centers since the 2016 season.

The Eagles and Steelers recently raised the center ceiling, with extensions for Jason Kelce and Maurkice Pouncey moving the market to $11MM per year. Given how teams have spent on offensive linemen in recent years, it is not out of the question the 29-year-old Paradis could exceed that. Ryan Jensen became the highest-paid center via 2018 free agency accord, and Paradis has a longer track record of success.

Morse has battled injuries the past two years, missing 14 starts. But he has been a generally well-regarded center since arriving as a Chiefs second-round pick in 2015. Kansas City has extensions planned for Tyreek Hill and Chris Jones this offseason, having already begun talks with Hill, so players like Morse and Steven Nelson may be permitted to walk as free agents.

Additionally, the Jets are not planning to adjust Osemele’s contract, Mehta tweets. The eighth-year guard is scheduled to carry cap numbers of $10.2MM and $11.7MM in 2019 and ’20, respectively. The Jets will be able to afford these hits. No guaranteed money remains on Osemele’s deal.

Latest On Antonio Brown

March 10th, 2019 at 6:01pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

After many twists and turns, the Antonio Brown saga finally came to an end when the Steelers agreed to trade the embattled receiver to the Raiders. To sort out everything that went down, Albert Breer of SI.com took a deep dive into the trade negotiations and broke down the events that led up to the agreement to send Brown to Oakland. While reports that Brown wanted a new contract only began trickling out in the past few days, Breer writes that teams were aware of his demands long before that. Breer notes that teams knew they’d have to give Brown a new contract if they traded for him a month ago, right when this all started.

It helps explains why things took so long to heat up, and why there weren’t too many known suitors. Brown’s demands apparently only got larger as the process went on, as Breer notes that “Brown went from initially wanting tweaks (getting existing money guaranteed, etc.) to wanting a big raise.” Breer confirms that a trade was indeed close with the Bills, and that after talks with Buffalo fell apart over money, the Eagles, Redskins and Raiders all reached out. Presumably, those were the three mystery teams “still alive” in this report from Friday. After the Raiders and Steelers agreed on draft compensation, “the deal was on the verge of crumbling” at one point Saturday as talks between Oakland and Brown’s agent hit an impasse. Obviously, things eventually got sorted out and Brown got the added money he was looking for.

Here’s more surrounding the All-Pro wideout:

  • While everyone just wants it to be over, things aren’t done quite yet. A source emphasized to Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) that the “trade is agreement only and ‘it’s never over till it’s over.'” Interestingly, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network then tweeted that she was told “exactly the same thing” by a different member of the Steelers organization. This could turn out to be nothing, but it’s worth noting coming from multiple places. It would be fitting for things to fall apart now given how dramatic the whole ordeal has been.
  • Brown’s agent, NFL super-agent Drew Rosenhaus, appeared on NFL Network after the trade and said he got permission to negotiate with the Raiders on Brown’s behalf Friday afternoon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). If that timeline is accurate, it would mean that Oakland had already received permission to negotiate with Brown when the trade with Buffalo was supposedly breaking down. Rosenhaus refused to say whether Brown would’ve reported to his new team if he hadn’t gotten a new contract. Rosenhaus also had praise for new Raiders GM Mike Mayock, saying he acted like a “veteran NFL GM” throughout the process.

 

2019 NFL Trades

March 10th, 2019 at 4:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already seen a few trades consummated in advance of the 2019 league year, and with the draft not too far off, several more deals figure to be completed this spring. We’ll track those moves – and the rest of the year’s trades, right up until the fall deadline – in this space.

Here’s a breakdown of 2019’s trades to date, in reverse chronological order:

Post-Draft

August 28

  • Jets acquired CB Nate Hairston.
  • Colts acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

August 22

August 12

  • Patriots acquired TE Eric Saubert.
  • Falcons acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.

August 11

  • Vikings acquired K Kaare Vedvik.
  • Ravens acquired a 2020 fifth-round pick.

August 9

August 8

  • Texans acquired RB Duke Johnson.
  • Browns acquired a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick.
    • Pick will become third-rounder if Johnson is active for 10 games with the Texans.

August 5

  • Jets acquired OL Alex Lewis.
  • Ravens acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.

May 15

  • Chiefs acquired LB Darron Lee.
  • Jets acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

May 6

  • Bears acquired K Eddy Pineiro.
  • Raiders acquired a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick.
    • Oakland will acquire pick if Pineiro is on Chicago’s active for five games.

April 29

  • Seahawks acquired TE Jacob Hollister.
  • Patriots acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.

During Draft

April 27

  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 236; WR John Ursua).
  • Jaguars acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

April 27

April 27

  • Broncos acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 187; WR Juwann Winfree).
  • Panthers acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 212; T Dennis Daley) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 237; WR Terry Godwin).

April 27

  • Patriots acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 163; P Jake Bailey).
  • Eagles acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 167; QB Clayton Thorson) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 246).

April 27

  • Patriots acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 159; DT Byron Cowart).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162; LB Cameron Smith) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 239; WR Dillon Mitchell).

April 27

  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 149; WR Hunter Renfrow).
  • Cowboys acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 158; CB Michael Jackson) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 218; RB Mike Weber).

April 27

  • Bengals acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 136; C Michael Jordan).
  • Cowboys acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 149) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 213; S Donovan Wilson).

April 27

  • Falcons acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 135; DE John Cominsky).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 137; TE Foster Moreau) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 230; DE Quinton Bell).

April 27

  • Rams acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 134; DT Greg Gaines) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 243; S Nick Scott).
  • Patriots acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 167).

April 27

  • Titans acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 116; S Amani Hooker).
  • Jets acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 121; TE Trevon Wesco) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 157; LB Blake Cashman).

April 27

  • Vikings acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 114; G Dru Samia).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 120; WR Gary Jennings); and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 204; RB Travis Homer).

April 27

April 27

  • Colts acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 109; S Khari Willis).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 129; CB Isaiah Johnson) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 135)

April 27

  • Broncos acquired LB Dekoda Watson and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 212).
  • 49ers acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 148; LB Dre Greenlaw).

April 27

  • Saints acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 105; S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson).
  • Jets acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 116) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 168).

April 27

  • Bengals acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 104; QB Ryan Finley).
  • 49ers acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 110; P Mitch Wishnowsky), a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 183; T Justin Skule), and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 198; CB Tim Harris).

April 26

  • Rams acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 97; T Bobby Evans) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162).
  • Patriots acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 101; T Yodny Cajuste) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 133; QB Jarrett Stidham).

April 26

  • Bills acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 96; TE Dawson Knox).
  • Redskins acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 112; RB Bryce Love) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 131; G Wes Martin).

April 26

  • Jets acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 92; T Chuma Edoga).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 93) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 217; CB Kris Boyd).

April 26

  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 88; LB Cody Barton) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 209; DT Demarcus Christmas).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 92) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 159).

April 26

  • Lions acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 81; S Will Harris).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 88) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 204).

April 26

  • Bears acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 73; RB David Montgomery) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 205; CB Duke Shelley).
  • Patriots acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 87; RB Damien Harris), a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162), and a 2020 fourth-round pick.

April 26

  • Rams acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 70; S Taylor Rapp).
  • Buccaneers acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 94; CB Jamel Dean) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 99; S Mike Edwards).

April 26

April 26

  • Dolphins acquired QB Josh Rosen.
  • Cardinals acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 62; WR Andy Isabella) and a 2020 fifth-round pick.

April 26

  • Chiefs acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 56; WR Mecole Hardman).
  • Rams acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 61; S Taylor Rapp) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 167).

April 26

  • Saints acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 48; C Erik McCoy) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 116).
  • Dolphins acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 62), a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 202; T Isaiah Prince), and a 2020 second-round pick.

April 26

  • Browns acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 46; CB Greedy Williams).
  • Colts acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 49; LB Ben Banogu) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 144; S Marvell Tell).

April 26

  • Patriots acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 45; CB Joejuan Williams).
  • Rams acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 56) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 101).

April 26

  • Broncos acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 42; QB Drew Lock).
  • Bengals acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 52; TE Drew Sample), a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 125; DT Renell Wren) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 182; RB Trayveon Williams).

April 26

  • Bills acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 38; OL Cody Ford).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 40; CB Trayvon Mullen) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 158).

April 26

  • Panthers acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 37; T Greg Little).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 47; S Marquise Blair) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 77).

April 26

  • Jaguars acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 35; T Jawaan Taylor), a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 140; RB Ryquell Armstead), and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 235; DT Dontavius Russell).
  • Raiders acquired a a 2019 second-round pick (No. 38) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 109).

April 25

  • Falcons acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 31; T Kaleb McGary) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 203; RB Marcus Green).
  • Rams acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 45) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 79; CB David Long)

April 25

  • Giants acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 30; CB Deandre Baker).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 37), a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 132; S Ugo Amadi), and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 142; LB Ben Burr-Kirven).

April 25

  • Redskins acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 26; DE Montez Sweat).
  • Colts acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 46) and a 2020 second-round pick.

April 25

April 25

  • Packers acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 21; S Darnell Savage).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 30), a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 114), and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 118).

April 25

  • Steelers acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 10; LB Devin Bush).
  • Broncos acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 20; TE Noah Fant), a 2019 second-round pick (No. 52), and a 2020 third-round pick.

Pre-Draft

April 23

  • Chiefs acquired DE Frank Clark and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 84).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 29), a 2019 third-round pick (No. 92), and a 2020 second-round pick.
    • Kansas City currently owns two 2020 second-round picks and will send the lower pick to Seattle.

April 1

March 28

  • Eagles acquired RB Jordan Howard.
  • Bears acquired a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick.
    • Pick could become fifth-rounder based on unknown conditions.

March 28

  • Cowboys acquired DE Robert Quinn.
  • Dolphins acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

March 15

  • Titans acquired QB Ryan Tannehill and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 188).
  • Dolphins acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 233) and a 2020 fourth-round pick.

March 13

March 13

  • 49ers acquired DE Dee Ford.
  • Chiefs acquired a 2020 second-round pick.

March 13

  • Eagles acquired WR DeSean Jackson and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
  • Buccaneers acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 208).

March 13

  • Jets acquired G Kelechi Osemele and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 196).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 140).

March 13

  • Raiders acquired WR Antonio Brown.
  • Steelers acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 66) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 141).

March 13

  • Patriots acquired DL Michael Bennett and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
  • Eagles acquired a 2020 fifth-round pick.

March 13

  • Cardinals acquired T Marcus Gilbert.
  • Steelers acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 207).

March 13

  • Redskins acquired QB Case Keenum and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
  • Broncos acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

March 13

  • Broncos acquired QB Joe Flacco.
  • Ravens acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 113).

NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Eagles

March 10th, 2019 at 4:13pm CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles did their due diligence on Antonio Brown before their in-state rival elected to ship him to Oakland, but Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com believes Philadelphia should “absolutely” pursue Brown’s soon-to-be former teammate, Le’Veon Bell. There have been rumors linking Bell to the Eagles this offseason, and Shorr-Parks sums it up thusly: “[T]he Eagles’ biggest need is running back. Bell is the best one available. They have the money to sign him, and they have a quarterback that needs him.”

The Brown saga appears to be wrapped up, and the Bell story will have a new chapter this week, when the talented back finds a new home. As we look ahead to free agency, let’s round up a few other NFC East items:

  • The slot receiver market may be among the interesting to watch when free agency opens on Wednesday, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Teams like the Cowboys, Redskins, and Eagles, who are expected to respectively lose Cole Beasley, Jamison Crowder, and Golden Tate, shouldb be in line to target new slot options. Additionally, clubs such as the Colts, Raiders, Lions, Titans, and Bills are also searching for inside weapons, per Garfolo.
  • Given all of the needs they have, and their relatively modest amount of cap room, the Giants are likely to make a few ripples in the pool of free agent talent rather than a major splash, as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post opines. The team needs to fortify a few positions (like strong safety and cornerback) so that they do not have to reach for a particular position in the draft.
  • Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv lauds the Giants‘ return in the recent Olivier Vernon trade, but he wonders how it will impact the rest of the team’s offseason. For instance, although free agency is loaded with quality pass rushers, Big Blue will not able to afford even a second-tier option if it wants to adequately address all of its needs, and it now becomes more possible that the Giants will take a pass rusher with the No. 6 overall pick (which would certainly upset plenty of Giants fans if Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins is still on the board).

Broncos Place Second-Round Tender On DL Shelby Harris

March 10th, 2019 at 3:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos have placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent defensive lineman Shelby Harris, according to Mike Klis of 9News.

Harris will now collect $3.095MM for the 2019 campaign. Theoretically, another team could sign Harris to an offer sheet, but they’d have to be willing to sacrifice a second-round pick. Additionally, Denver has the right to match any offer Harris may receive, so the tender almost certainly ties Harris to the Broncos’ roster for next season.

A seventh-round pick of the Raiders in 2014, Harris bounced around the league, spending time with the Jets and Cowboys before signing a futures deal with the Broncos in 2017. That low-risk move has paid off ten-fold for Denver, as Harris has appeared in all 32 possible games over the past two years, seeing action on more than 35% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps in each season.

Harris, 27, posted seven sacks, 16 quarterback hits, and 15 tackles for loss from 2017-18, and graded as the NFL’s No. 8 interior defender last year, per Pro Football Focus. His role could be set to expand in 2019, as the Broncos reportedly aren’t interested in re-signing veteran defensive tackle Domata Peko, who played 522 defensive snaps last season.

Chiefs Release Justin Houston

March 10th, 2019 at 3:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs have released edge rusher Justin Houston, the club announced today.

“Over the last eight seasons we’ve had the ability to watch Justin grow into a leader on and off the playing field,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said. “His passion helped him become one the most successful pass rushers in franchise history. We appreciate his contributions to our team and community and he’ll always be considered a part of the Chiefs family.”

Kansas City had been attempting to trade Houston, but no club was willing to take on his $15.25MM base salary. By cutting Houston, the Chiefs will $7.1MM in dead money, but will also create $14MM in cap space. That latter figure is critical for Kansas City, as the team had less than $10MM in cap space before moving from Houston.

In addition to trying to move Houston, the Chiefs are also rumored to have put fellow pass rusher Dee Ford on the trade block. Ford was designated as Kansas City’s franchise player and will earn north of $17MM in 2019, and the Chiefs are reportedly searching for a second-round pick in exchange. However, it’s possible Kansas City will be more amenable to retaining Ford now that Houston is out of the picture.

Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks in 2015, but injuries have since taken a toll on his availability. Now entering his age-30 campaign, Houston can still be an effective player, as evidenced by his 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s 14th-best edge defender last year, and he should have a solid market given that most of this offseason’s best pass-rushers were taken off the market via the franchise tag.

Raiders To Trade Kelechi Osemele To Jets

March 10th, 2019 at 3:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders have reached an agreement to trade guard Kelechi Osemele to the Jets, according to Adam Schefter and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Oakland will receive a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 140), while New York will acquire Osemele and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 196), tweets Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune.

Oakland, of course, acquired superstar wideout Antonio Brown from the Steelers late last night, just months after dealing away their own stars in edge rusher Khalil Mack and receiver Amari Cooper. Now, the club is dealing away arguably its best offensive lineman, so it’s unclear if the Raiders view themselves as contenders or are instead continuing with their rebuild.

Osemele, 29, inked a five-year, $58.5MM deal with Oakland in 2016 after spending the first four years of his career in Baltimore. After missing only one game during his first two years in the Bay Area, Osemele was sidelined by a knee injury for five contests in 2018. It’s fair to wonder if that knee issue bothered Osemele all season, as he finished with the worst Pro Football Focus grade of his career last season.

The Raiders will clear $10.5MM in both cash and cap off their books by moving Osemele, while the Jets will take on the same amount. Both clubs will remain among the top-seven teams in available cap space heading into the new league year on Wednesday. Osemele is under contract through the 2020 season, and will carry an $11.7MM cap charge next year.

The Jets’ fielded one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines last season, and had pursued Osemele when he was a free agent in 2016, so the marriage makes sense on paper. In 2019, New York ranked dead last in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders’ offensive line metric, and also ranked 32nd in adjusted line yards when running behind the center/guard. James Carpenter, the Jets’ left guard starter entering last season, missed the second half of the year with injury and is now a free agent, leaving a gap that Osemele will now fill.

Frank Clark Won’t Report To Training Camp Without Extension

March 10th, 2019 at 2:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark has no intention of signing his franchise tag or reporting to training camp unless he receives an extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Clark was one of five pass-rushers to receive the franchise tender last week, but he may have been the closest of the group to reaching a long-term agreement. Reports just before the tag deadline indicated Seattle was progressing on a new deal with Clark, so there may be some momentum in discussions. The Seahawks have until July 15 to work out a extension with Clark — if they don’t, he’ll be forced to play out the 2019 campaign under the franchise tender.

A former second-round pick, Clark will collect $17.128MM for the 2019 season, a total which will become fully guaranteed once he signs his tag. While that’s a hefty total for a single season, it doesn’t represent Clark’s true value on the open market, or what he’s likely searching for via an extension. While he’s probably not going to exceed Khalil Mack‘s $23.5MM annual average, Clark could feel secure in targeting a $20MM+ yearly salary on a long-term pact.

Clark, 25, has been a wrecking ball over the past three seasons, ranking seventh among NFL defensive linemen in sacks (32) and 10th in quarterbacks hits (66) during that time. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Clark as the league’s No. 18 edge defender.

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