Chuck Clark

Ravens Were Willing To Extend S Chuck Clark In 2022

May 27th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Things changed significantly for the Ravens at the safety position during the 2022 offseason. One of the results of their moves made on the backend was veteran Chuck Clark being traded at the start of the 2023 league year.

Clark, a 2017 sixth-round pick, established himself as a full-time starter midway through the 2019 season, and held onto a first-team role from that point on. His consistent production had him in line for a new Ravens extension heading into the 2022 offseason, but circumstances turned against him quickly. Baltimore signed Marcus Williams in free agency on a five-year, $70MM contract, marking their latest big-money investment at the free safety spot.

More significantly with respect to Clark’s status, the Ravens followed up the Williams deal by selecting Kyle Hamilton in the first round of the draft. That move seemed to leave Clark on the outside looking in beyond the 2022 season, and he requested a trade shortly thereafter. Baltimore, as expected, ultimately moved on this March by dealing him to the Jets in a swap which yielded $3.64MM in cap savings.

When speaking about the trade earlier this week, the 28-year-old indicated that he felt “disrespected” by the Ravens given the way his time with the team came to an end. Clark has one year remaining on his current contract, but he was under the impression that a Ravens extension was a distinct possibility in 2022, as noted by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (subscription required). Zrebiec adds, notably, that the team was “open to the idea” as well, before their safety additions made Clark expendable.

The latter – who eclipsed the 100-tackle mark for the first time in his career last year – could have a much clearer path to a starting spot in his new home than he would have had in Baltimore in 2023. The Ravens have Williams and Hamilton in place for the foreseeable future, while Clark could partner with Jordan Whitehead in New York ahead of hitting the open market in 2024. With a cap hit of $4.14MM, Clark could prove to be a cost-effective contributor for the Jets as he and the Ravens go their separate ways.

Baltimore did utilize three-safety packages to a notable extent in 2022, as they looked to integrate Hamilton slowly before what should be a dramatic uptick in usage this year. Continuing those alignments may have left the door open to retaining – or even extending – Clark beyond his current deal, but both parties appear to be well-positioned moving forward. How Clark fares in New York, and the degree to which he is replaced in Baltimore, will be worth monitoring in 2023.

Jets To Acquire S Chuck Clark From Ravens

March 9th, 2023 at 9:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets remain connected to a potential Aaron Rodgers blockbuster, the team is making another trade. The Jets are acquiring safety Chuck Clark from the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Ravens will collect a 2024 seventh-round pick for Clark, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Clark had loomed as a Baltimore departure candidate since the first-round selection of Kyle Hamilton last year, and he will have a fresh start in New York. The trade cannot become official until Wednesday, when the 2023 league year begins.

Trade buzz followed Clark immediately after the Ravens drafted Hamilton, as that move came not long after Marcus Williams‘ $14MM-per-year Baltimore pact. The Ravens will move forward with a Williams-Hamilton safety tandem, while the Jets will add a veteran starter for low-end trade compensation. The deal will save the Ravens $3.64MM in cap space; the team, which now has a $32.4MM Lamar Jackson franchise tag on the books, remains more than $8MM over the cap.

Clark said in January he wanted to stay with the Ravens, but he did request a trade during the 2022 offseason. The 27-year-old defender has been a primary Ravens starter for the past four seasons, remaining with the team as it cycled through veteran safeties alongside him. A 2017 Ravens draft choice, Clark arrived in Maryland after current Jets GM Joe Douglas had left the organization. But after talks with former coworker Eric DeCosta produced a deal, the ex-Ravens exec will have an experienced safety on his roster at a low rate. Clark is due just $2.5MM in base salary; his contract runs through the 2023 season.

A sixth-round pick, Clark worked his way up to starter status and stuck around in that role as the likes of Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson, Earl Thomas, Williams and Hamilton came through town. Clark has made 63 career starts. The Ravens used all three of their safeties frequently in 2022, though a Williams injury prevented the team from doing so for a chunk of the season. Clark finished the year with a career-high 101 tackles, along with a forced fumble.

The Ravens used Clark in a variety of roles, lining him up in the slot on 128 snaps last season (h/t ESPN’s Field Yates) while using him sporadically as a boundary cornerback and an edge defender. Pro Football Focus rated the Virginia Tech product as a middle-of-the-pack safety (46th overall) but viewed him as one of the best run-support players at the position.

Jordan Whitehead remains under contract with the Jets, but 2022 starter Lamarcus Joyner is set to hit free agency next week. Clark’s arrival could point Joyner out of town. As for the Ravens, they are covered at safety. PFF rated Hamilton as the top safety in the league last season. Williams is under contract through 2026, while Hamilton can be kept on his rookie deal through that point due to the fifth-year option.

Ravens’ Chuck Clark, Justin Houston Hoping To Remain In 2023

January 21st, 2023 at 9:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Baltimore’s offseason will be dominated by their contract decision with respect to quarterback Lamar Jackson, but a number of other notable players face uncertain futures as well. Two of the team’s key defenders have expressed their desire to remain with the Ravens for 2023.

One of those is safety Chuck Clark, who drew plenty of headlines last offseason with respect to his desire to stay with the team. The 27-year-old represented a logical trade candidate in the wake of Baltimore signing Marcus Williams to a big-money free agent deal and using their top draft pick on Kyle Hamilton. In the summer, he confirmed that he had in fact asked to be moved, though the Ravens held onto him throughout the campaign.

Williams essentially played on an every-snap basis when healthy, but the same was also true of Clark. That came as little surprise early on in the season, but many predicted Hamilton would gradually take over his role as (primarily) a box defender later on. Instead, the latter wound up with a 53% defensive snap share, operating as part of the team’s three-safety packages. That left Clark on the field full-time, where he totaled 101 tackles and four pass deflections.

The veteran is on the books for one more season, but he acknowledged (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, on Twitter) that there is once again “uncertainty” regarding whether or not he will continue his career in Baltimore. Clark is scheduled to carry a cap hit of just over $6.2MM in 2023, and Hamilton could presumably take on his role as a hybrid defender (if not the unit’s play-caller). Clark’s desire to remain nevertheless represents a notable departure from his stance last year.

His intention was echoed by pass rusher Justin Houston. The 34-year-old started only one contest in 2022, his second with the Ravens, and saw a rotational role on the edge. Despite his 44% snap share, Houston led the team in sacks with 9.5, demonstrating his continued ability to be a disruptive presence in the latter stages of his career. He is, to little surprise, then, eyeing a deal which allows him to play at least one more season.

“The way I feel right now – I’ll be back,” the pending free agent said, via Clifton Brown of the team’s website. “We’ll see if the chips work out, and I’ll be here. That’s out of my control. We’ll see what they do. [But] I’d like to be back here.”

Much of Baltimore’s cap situation will be dictated by Jackson’s cost on either a franchise tag or a long-term deal. When they have established more financial clarity, though, the degree to which Clark’s and Houston’s desire to return is reciprocated will be a notable subplot.

Restructure Details: Brockers, Butker, Clark

September 18th, 2022 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Here’s a roundup of a few recent contract restructures:

Michael Brockers, DT (Lions): Detroit converted $4MM of Brockers’ 2022 base salary into a signing bonus, which opened up $2MM of cap room, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Brockers signed a three-year, $24MM deal with the Lions in March 2021, and he appeared in 16 games (all starts) in his first year in the Motor City. However, he recorded just one sack and earned an abysmal 40.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
Harrison Butker, K (Chiefs): Butker injured his ankle in Kansas City’s Week 1 win over the Cardinals and missed the club’s Week 2 victory over the Chargers as a result. According to Yates, Butker agreed to convert $2.19MM of his 2022 base salary into a signing bonus, thereby giving KC an additional $1.46MM of cap room (Twitter link). Butker is signed through 2024 and is the league’s 10th-highest-paid kicker by measure of AAV.
Chuck Clark, S (Ravens): There are no specifics on this one, though Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Baltimore gave Clark a bit of a raise this year and also added some incentives to his deal. The Ravens doled out a big-ticket free agent contract to safety Marcus Williams in March and selected Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton in the first round of the draft, and Clark subsequently requested a trade. However, it eventually became clear that Clark would continue to play a prominent role on the defense in 2022, and in the team’s Week 1 victory over the Jets, the Virginia Tech product played in all 84 defensive snaps and tallied eight tackles and a forced fumble while continuing to wear the green dot. He is under club control through 2023 and was slated to earn $1.25MM in base pay this year. Per Zrebiec, this transaction represents a show of appreciation for how Clark handled himself this offseason.
Desmond King, DB (Texans): The Texans have converted $911K of King’s 2022 salary into a signing bonus, thereby creating $455K of cap space (Twitter link via Yates). King re-signed with Houston this offseason after appearing in 16 games (12 starts) for the club in 2021 and posting 93 tackles to go along with three interceptions. His two-year contract is worth $7MM.

Ravens S Chuck Clark Requested Trade

August 27th, 2022 at 12:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Chuck Clark has been mentioned as a trade candidate throughout the offseason, and it sounds like the veteran safety would welcome a move. Following an offseason that saw Baltimore make two major commitments at safety, Clark acknowledged that he asked the organization for a trade following the NFL Draft in April.

“Me personally, I just felt the situation that I was in, how things were going, of course, yeah I did ask, ‘Can I get out of here?'” Clark said (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). “And so, I felt like that didn’t happen and I wasn’t just going to give away my spot. If I’m not going to be a starter, it’s going to have to be taken from me.”

The Ravens signed Marcus Williams to a five-year, $70MM deal, and they selected safety Kyle Hamilton with the 14th-overall pick in the draft. Naturally, Clark thought he was at risk of losing his starting spot, and it sounds like that was the motivation for making his trade request.

The 27-year-old has spent his entire career in Baltimore, and he’s made 44 starts for the team over the past three years. That includes a 2021 campaign where Clark started 16 games while compiling 80 tackles, 12 passes defended, and a pair of interceptions.Pro Football Focus ended up ranking him 41st among 92 qualifying safeties.

Despite the request, Clark still attended offseason workouts and has been a full participant throughout training camp and the preseason. Plus, since the Ravens have the luxury of bringing Hamilton along slowly thanks to their depth, it sounds like Clark could remain a starter for at least another season.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen moving forward, but I think that what you all have seen so far is how everyone has been in place,” Clark said. “There was definitely a time I didn’t know what was going to happen, honestly. And whatever was to come with that was going to come. At one point I did feel that way, but now that I’m out here with my team, man, I’m just like … I’m here, I’m locked in. They’re going to get what I got for right now. So, whatever comes in the future, that’s what’s going to come.”

Clark still has two years remaining on the three-year, $16MM extension he signed in 2020.

Trade Candidate: Ravens S Chuck Clark

July 9th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chuck Clark was an unheralded addition to the Ravens when he was drafted in 2016, spending the early part of his NFL career primarily on special teams. His play since becoming a starter, however, has demonstrated his value to the Ravens and the rest of the league.

A sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, Clark took over a starting safety spot midway through the 2019 season when Tony Jefferson was injured. He has been an every-down player ever since, teaming with Eric Weddle, then DeShon Elliott, at the backend of the team’s secondary. He has emerged as not only a statistical contributor, but also a valued leader during recent years.

In two full seasons as a starter, Clark hasn’t put up the kind of production a number of high-profile safeties have, but he has nevertheless been a steady presence. He has totalled 176 tackles, three interceptions and 16 pass deflections since 2021, while occupying an important role outside of statistical production. As the player wearing the green dot for communication, Clark has operated as, in essence, the ‘defensive QB’ since he assumed a starting role.

Expectations were raised for his effectiveness in 2022 and beyond when the Ravens signed Marcus Williams in free agency. As a more natural ‘centerfielder’ type of free safety, Williams represented an Elliott replacement who would allow Clark to operate closer to the line of scrimmage, which his athletic profile is better suited to. It wasn’t until the team drafted Kyle Hamilton in the first round of the draft that Clark emerged on the trade radar.

The Notre Dame alum has a largely congruent skillset to Clark’s, which led to multiple teams making trade inquiries after the draft regarding Clark’s availability. Using Hamilton on an every-down basis could cut significantly into Clark’s playing time, and complicate his ability to continue serving as the defensive signal-caller. The team has regularly used three-safety packages in recent years, though, providing a backdrop for the pushback to trade speculation the team provided.

Head coach John Harbaugh commented on the situation in May, saying “I love the fact that we have very versatile players in the backend and at safety. So, to me, Chuck is a big part of this team, and I’m planning on Chuck being here.”

Things took another turn one month later, when Clark hired a new agent. It was reported at that time that, throughout OTAs and minicamp, he had made no public indication of requesting a trade. The Ravens have pulled off unexpected moves before, though, including the Marquise Brown trade this year. A swap sending Clark to a team which could play him as an undisputed starter has remained a possibility throughout the offseason, in part due to Baltimore’s financial situation.

The Ravens currently rank 31st in the league in cap space, so the relatively small savings a Clark trade would generate ($2.75MM) could nevertheless be significant. He has two years remaining on his contract, with affordable cap charges of $4.6MM and $5.2MM, along with even lower salaries. That could widen the pool of teams still interested in adding him.

Clark could be a useful fit in almost any system, given his ‘jack-of-all-trade’ profile. Teams currently set to start inexperienced safeties include the 49ers, who lost Jaquiski Tartt in free agency, and the Colts, who saw Khari Willis retire recently. If either squad wanted to add a quality veteran to insulate Talanoa Hufanga or Nick Cross, respectively, Clark could be the best available option. Especially after the 49ers part with Jimmy Garoppolo, both teams will easily be able to afford him.

Of course, the possibility still remains that the Ravens could hold onto Clark for at least the 2022 campaign, as Hamilton acclimates to the NFL. It wouldn’t come as a complete surprise, though, if he were to suit up for a new team by the start of the regular season.

Ravens S Chuck Clark Hires New Agent

June 9th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

Before the draft, Ravens safety Chuck Clark was in line to continue with the starting role he has held for the past three years. As a result, there was little reason to suspect he would be as involved in trade talk as he has been recently.

That all changed after the first round, however, when the Ravens selected Kyle Hamilton, not only the top safety prospect but one of the highest-rated members of the draft class as a whole. Given the newfound depth at the position, Clark was quickly named as a potential trade candidate.

While head coach John Harbaugh publicly stated the team’s intentions of keeping him, the 27-year-old was reported days later to nevertheless be drawing trade interest from multiple teams. The presence of not only Hamilton, but also top free agent signing Marcus Williams, would threaten to eat into Clark’s playing time significantly.

The most recent update on the matter came when Clark hired a new agent, as noted by Jeff Zrebiec of the Athletic (subscription required). He is now represented by Joel Segal, whose client list also includes Ravens defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Tony Jefferson. Zrebiec points out that Clark “has done nothing… to fuel the speculation that he wants out of Baltimore,” maintaining the leadership qualities he has become known for as the defense’s signal-caller.

On the other hand, Zrebiec also makes it clear that a parting of ways between the two sides remains a possibility. A trade could provide an acquiring team with a cost-controlled, consistent contributor; Clark is under contract for two more seasons and has totaled 249 tackles and five interceptions over the past three years. From Baltimore’s perspective, a swap would create $2.75MM in cap space — an amount made more significant when considering the team is currently near the bottom of the league in financial wiggle room.

Regardless of what happens next in this situation, this will remain a story worth watching into the summer.

Ravens’ Chuck Clark Drawing Trade Interest

May 10th, 2022 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens used their top draft choice on Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, doing so a few weeks after signing Marcus Williams to a big-ticket free agent deal. That has invited speculation on Chuck Clark‘s status.

Although John Harbaugh has said he plans on Clark remaining a Raven, teams reached out about trade interest. Following Baltimore’s Hamilton selection, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team received calls about Clark’s availability. Multiple teams inquired. Given an extension in February 2020, Clark is under contract for two more years — on just $2.75MM and $3.29MM base salaries.

Clark’s experience and low-cost contract would make him an attractive trade piece, and Fowler adds the veteran starter would be open to a move. The sixth-year veteran has not requested a trade but obviously would prefer to remain a regular contributor. The arrivals of Williams and Hamilton stand to cut into Clark’s playing time, even if the Ravens intend to deploy more three-safety looks.

A former sixth-round pick, Clark moved into the Ravens’ starting lineup full-time in 2019. The Virginia Tech alum is going into his age-27 season. During Clark’s time in Baltimore, the team has devoted significant resources to the safety spot. Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson and Earl Thomas played on higher-end free agency accords in recent years, but the Ravens’ recent commitment to the position sets this offseason apart.

Ravens Intend To Keep Chuck Clark

May 8th, 2022 at 10:55am CST by Adam La Rose

After the events of this offseason, and the draft in particular, veteran Ravens safety Chuck Clark has been named as a player the team might look to move on from. Head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t see him going anywhere, however.

When speaking to the media, Harbaugh said, “the idea is to have as many good players as you can have and have them in the right spots and the right roles. I love the fact that we have very versatile players in the backend and at safety. So, to me, Chuck is a big part of this team, and I’m planning on Chuck being here.”

Those comments were made in light of the fact that the team drafted safety Kyle Hamilton 14th overall. Lauded for his range and positional versatility, many felt that his addition would make Clark redundant. The latter has been a starter for the past three seasons, totalling 249 tackles, four interceptions and 25 pass deflections during that stretch. He has also worn the green dot as the player responsible for organizing the defense on the field.

Still, the overlap in skillsets between Clark and Hamilton has led to speculation that the Ravens could handle his situation in a similar fashion to those of Orlando Brown Jr. and Marquise Brown – highly regarded players whose trade requests were honored despite the team having the option of keeping them for at least one more season. The 27-year-old is under contract for two more years, with cap hits of $4.6MM and $5.2MM, though he has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal.

Assuming Clark is retained, he could still see plenty of playing time even if Hamilton starts right away. He has experience lining up in a number of positions, just as the latter does from his time at Notre Dame. The team should have opportunities to use three-safety packages (complementing free agent signee Marcus Williams) given their lack of established veterans at the inside linebacker and slot corner positions. If they do part ways, though, Baltimore would turn to the likes of Brandon Stephens, Tony Jefferson and Geno Stone to fill the safety void.

Ravens Notes: WRs, Clark, Ojabo

May 3rd, 2022 at 5:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens were busier than expected during Round 1 of last week’s draft, making not one but two selections. To acquire the second pick, of course, they honored Marquise Brown‘s trade request. That was the largest of a number of receiver departures this offseason, leaving many surprised the team didn’t draft a wideout at any point over the weekend.

When asked about that, general manager Eric DeCosta said, “it wasn’t for a lack of effort. I think, honestly, the fact that there was a run of receivers in the first round like there was … I wouldn’t say it was a great receiver class in general, compared to some of the years… There were some receivers that we liked; we tried to take a couple guys at different points… I said this last year, but we like our receivers.”

Baltimore’s WR room now consists of recent draftees Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace. DeCosta did say, though, that the team “will add players to the mix”, a process which will likely involve diving into the remaining free agent market.

Here are some more notes from around Charm City:

Regarding DeCosta’s above remark about failing to land draft targets at WR, they were apparently one pick away from selecting Calvin Austin III, according to Peter King of FMIA. As he details, Baltimore was prepared to use pick No. 139 on the Memphis speedster, but the Steelers took him at 138. While they didn’t draft a wideout, the Ravens did add a pair of tight ends in the fourth round: Charlie Kolar and Isiah Likley.
After the Ravens drafted safety Kyle Hamilton 14th overall, some have raised questions about Chuck Clark‘s future with the team. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes that it’s “hard to see” Baltimore keeping the latter much longer, given Hamilton’s skillset and the recent trend of trading away valued players seeking new and/or larger roles.
Another draft pick vaunted for its relative value was that of edge rusher David Ojabo in the second round. His reason for falling out of the first round – a torn Achilles suffered at his pro day – has many expecting the Michigan product to miss his entire rookie season. However, as ESPN’s Jamison Hensley writes, the team is “optimistic that at some point this year he’ll have a chance to play”, a sentiment which Ojabo himself also shares.

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