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.
Does anyone on the Denver squad have a sack? Like the one God gave ya. That team wants to embarass their coach. Or something. Can’t figure them out
It’s the worst coaching job Sean Peyton has ever seen
It helps when you have a HoF QB in his prime. Don’t forget he had 3(?) 7-9 seasons in a row while in New Orleans.
All because of…the worst defense in the league.
Those Saints were historically bad on defense. I remember when they signed Jairus Byrd from the Bills, who had probably the best last couple of years in the league at that spot to run a three deep zone safety look and then hired Rob Ryan to run a zone blitz 3-4. It was stupid, and obviously didn’t work. The Saints only got worse trying to fix it, and wasted three more years of Bree’s’ career.
If you’re an offensive HC, it’s entirely on you to find a collection of great defensive minds to help mold and create a solid defensive foundation.
Look at the people Kyle Shannahan have had around him. John Lynch, Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans, Kris Kocurek, and now Steve Wilks all highly respected defensive minded guys, and Kyle has let them do their thing all while helping to create a culture of toughness and identity on both sides of the ball.
I’m not arguing any points otherwise. I was just adding that fact. It seems relevant because a similar situation has unfolded early in Denver (Chiefs game not withstanding).
In New Orleans’ case, Payton did eventually find someone to fix the defense (in my opinion, I think that Loomis’ drafting had more to do with it than Dennis Allen’s predictable playcalling). Will he be able to in Denver? Maybe, maybe not, but I think that his top personal priority is to fix the offense first.
Burn it down and start over. There isn’t one untouchable Bronco.
Pat Surtain is near untouchable. Other than him and Russell Wilson (because of dead money hit if he gets traded or cut), everyone else should be on the block…..
I think a Surtain trade could REALLY accelerate a rebuild with multiple high draft picks.
A rebuild? To what? The main underperforming player will still be there. Denver will just be down an elite young corner and have a couple of rookies in his place. Surtain is the exactly the type of player that the Broncos would hope to draft to replace him. Trading him away just to hope that they draft an identical player in his spot is just a sideways move that only satisfies an emotional urge.
Teams rebuild to get their best players on proportionately smaller contracts. As long as Denver is stuck with Wilson’s deal, a rebuild can not truly take effect. They’re not lacking in talent; they’re lacking in execution. They can bring in or ship out whomever they want, but nothing will change until the team raises its standard for executing on the field. That’s not to say that certain players couldn’t be moved, but the idea that trading away players is what will “fix” the Broncos is missing the main issue that they’re having.
Nah he’s touchable too. Price tag is just high. Couple 1st round picks and some mid round picks could really restart the roster.
Frank Clark to the Lions where he can team with his fellow U of M alumni Aiden Hutchison and provides good complement to him! Go Lions!!!
I’m not a UofM fan but a Spartans fan (no need to feel sorry) but I would love this move for the Lions. He may not be who he once was but he’s still a good player. You put him in a good position to succeed he’ll get back to where he once was. Ideally the best fit for him though would be back in either KC or Seattle. Teams that know him well and know how to get the best out of him.
The only time Clark has shown up the last couple of years has been in the playoffs. Which, on the surface isn’t bad, but I’ve seen Chiefs fans on here complain he became a head case. Dan Campbell might not wanna mess with their chemistry unless it’s someone undeniable..
I find it amusing that as soon as Walmart bought the Broncos they became the Great Value version of a football team.
Especially since they have billions to spend. They are the Oakland A’s of the NFL.
And, like Gregory, this was a dumb deal from the start. On the upside, it wasn’t nearly as expensive, but Clark’s one advantage is that he steps up in the playoffs. And, to be fair, that’s very impactful. During the season, however, he’s always been above average, but never really as good as his name. He’s not somebody who will lead a defensive front. Clark’s also had attitude issues on the field in the past, and some minor off field issues as well.
I’m not saying that he wasn’t worth anybody signing him. On the contrary, he could be a good piece for a team For the Broncos, however, he didn’t offer much. Denver needs an established edge defense, which they don’t have. Clark wasn’t going to give them that, and wasn’t going to offer more on the field than the more expensive Gregory did. That’s what happens when you sign guys who have never had double digits sacks in their career to lead a pass rush stable (well, in Clark’s case, he’s had two-the last coming five years ago). Paton drafts well, but his free agency moves have been pretty uninspiring.
Frank Clark really guns for the QB.
Welcome back to the KC Chiefs Frank, your gonna be a real nice rotational piece and be reunited with your buddy Chris Jones