Frank Clark, Post your thoughts here on him please.

[Screamin12th]

Ok first off i am just "ok" with this pick. If the kid didn't have the off the field issues he would have been a 2nd round pick, maybe dropping to a 3rd, but that is where i have the problem. The Hawks could have got this guy in the 5th and i do not care if the FO says "other teams said they projected him as a 2nd/3rd rounder", That's all fire control. He would have been there in the 5th round with out a doubt.

La'el Collins was a much better prospect and went undrafted because of his off the field problems and i believe Clark very well might have went undrafted also. This is why i do NOT like the pick and consider it a miss. He might be great but he would have been there for the picking MUCH MUCH later allowing them to grab someone else and STILL get Clark. My Thoughts are they could have got a Olineman in the 2nd and grabbed Clark in the 5th. This in turn would have gave them a much more solid prospect for the Oline and then Clark would bolster their late round selections.

Sorry but this was a miss in my view.

So what are you likes/dislikes with the Clark pick? was it a hit or a miss? Don't want to here "well 5 years from now blah blah blah" stuff :p

Also would like to add that i Wish John Carlson the best after his retirement, good luck in your new life JC!

 

[MKHawk]

Clark wasn't going undrafted. Some teams probably took him off their boards, but someone was going to take him by the end of the 3rd round.

From a pure football perspective, it's a good pick. He's got serious talent.

But the pick makes me kind of queasy overall. The fact that the Seahawks are getting (rightly) raked over the coals right now for all the people they didn't talk to during their "comprehensive investigation" isn't helping.

 

[Wolvie]

If the FO thinks he was worth taking in the second round then I have no problem with the pick. To draft guys based on where others would take them is kind of flawed reasoning. Plus he is from Michigan so he gets a free pass from me.

 

[SonnyCID]

If the FO thinks he was worth taking in the second round then I have no problem with the pick. To draft guys based on where others would take them is kind of flawed reasoning. Plus he is from Michigan so he gets a free pass from me.

Agreed

 

[Chawkdawg]

My thoughts are: In Pete and John I trust!!
I'm not sure everyone knows just what happened in that incident.
Prosecutor: Seahawks draft pick is not a batterer | The Seattle Times

 

[Uhsplit]

No offense to the OP, but stewing over when a guy should be picked makes no sense.
On every draft board players are ranked differently. In post draft interviews it became apparent JS and PC valued DE as their #1 target and after Clark was gone, the drop off in talent was severe-in the opinion of JS and PC.
Looking back we lost Schofield who was 1st off the bench at DE IIRC. When Avril went down in the SB, things opened right up for Brady.
Now whether the need caused Seattle to look the other way regarding the DV issue is another question indeed. We all know Seattle drafts for themselves and if you don't like it, you are welcome to jump in the river. JS/PC do not care about great draft reviews. They care about the results.

 

[dude82]

From a talent standpoint, I have no issues with the pick. The Seahawks had a need they wanted to address and they saw a player they liked much better than the other players that were available to fill that need and they didn't think they could wait and get him later, so they took him. Could they have gotten him later? I don't think anyone can say with certainty that they could have. That's the same logic a lot of these draft "experts" on TV and on the net have used in downgrading previous Seahawks drafts and we should all know by now that if Schneider and Carroll pick a guy in a certain spot, they're doing it because they're certain they'll lose the opportunity to pick that player completely if they wait. I believe Carroll and/or Schneider said during an interview that the players they had on their board were coming off faster than anticipated (or something to that effect), so from that standpoint it makes sense that they chose Clark when they did rather than waiting to see if he'd still be there when they got to pick again. It's also the reason they traded way up to get Lockett. They thought he'd be gone by the time they were scheduled to pick again, so they were proactive about it and traded up to get him.

From a personal standpoint, as soon as I heard about the domestic violence allegations against Clark, I became uneasy about the pick. I believe I even said on another thread that it's going to be difficult for me to root for the guy for that reason. I understand that no charges were ever filed and that the prosecutor over there seems to think that he's unlikely to do it again, but it's a position the Seahawks didn't have to put themselves in. Hearing about how many people the Seahawks failed to talk to during their "thorough" investigation into it makes it more difficult to defend the pick from a personal standpoint. Hopefully the guy keeps his behavior in-check while he's here and the prosecutor who doesn't think he'll do it again turns out to be right, but this is a tough pick to defend whether he never touches another woman in a violent manner or not.

 

[blstoker]

ANN ARBOR -- Frank Clark's road to the NFL draft wasn't a normal one, not by a long shot.

The former Michigan defensive end was basically washed off the draft board of every team following a domestic violence arrest back in November -- an incident that cost him a spot on Michigan's team 10 games into the season.

But after Clark put together solid numbers at the NFL Combine in the winter, and saw his legal charges diminish down to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, he began to see plenty of interest from NFL clubs.

The Seattle Seahawks were basically at the top of that list.

On Friday, Seattle surprised plenty of analysts by making Clark the No. 63 overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft, taking a chance on a player who has had plenty of off-field issues -- including one that centered around a current hot-button NFL topic in domestic violence.

Speaking with reporters in Seattle on Friday night, Clark was asked about his arrest back in November, and asked if he admitted guilt and took blame for the entire incident.

"I believe I was wrong, and I am sorry," Clark said. "I put myself in a position I shouldn't have been in. I'm not saying I did anything as far as putting my hands on a woman, because the case played out and reflected that. But I do apologize to anyone it affected. Anyone who had to spend time with this. No one should have to go through this, whether you're the person looking at it or the woman in the midst of it. No one should have to go through that.

"No woman should have to go through anything like it. No woman should ever have a man put his hands (on her)."

The details of the November police report surrounding Clark's arrest were rather alarming. At the time, though, he maintained his innocence and felt confident the charges would eventually be reduced or dropped.

During his visit to Seattle before the draft, and in various conversations with team management, Clark said he was asked to explain exactly what happened that night inside a Sandusky, Ohio hotel room a number of times.

And each time he was asked, Clark says he told the truth.

"They asked me to the point where it was echoing through my mind," Clark said. "It was a question they continued to ask, and after a while they stopped asking because I feel like they felt confident in the answers I was giving them."

Speaking with reporters in Seattle, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said -- to his knowledge after his own personal research -- Clark never actually struck a woman during the incident. He explained how the team did more research on Clark than any other player in this year's draft, and maintained that there's "two sides to every story."

Schneider said the Seahawks tried to interview every person involved in the incident, but did not say he specifically interviewed Clark's girlfriend, Diamond Hurt, the person who was allegedly struck during the incident. He said the team interviewed counselors for both Clark and Hurt, and arrived at their eventual conclusion after that.

Both Schneider and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll touched on Clark's difficult upbringing during their interview, and Carroll said he relied on Clark's prep coach at Glenville (Ohio) High School, Tedd Ginn, Sr., for plenty of character background.

At the time of Clark's dismissal from the program, Schneider was in Ann Arbor for a pre-scheduled scouting trip. He said Michigan's staff and personnel were "shocked" by the arrest, and maintained that the team got enough information from U-M's staff to allow the team to feel confident in taking a chance on Clark in the second round. He also explained how there were a number of teams who were prepared to take Clark on Friday night, possibly early in the third round.

"It was a process," he said. "I was there two days after it happened. Our area (scout) went through there twice. Our regional scout went through there twice. We spent several days there. The easy thing to do was to dismiss this. But, over time and I don't want to get into specifics of it, things became clearer and clearer in the evaluation process.

"We brought him out here, he met with our sports psychologist. But to be there at the time, to see the secretary's reaction ... it was, like 'wow.' ... You get a really, really good feel for the individual (in doing that)."

Schneider also explained how Clark is on a shorter leash, off the field, than most prospects at this point. But maintained the franchise felt confident enough in its research to take the chance and select Clark.

Clark explained how he entered personal counseling before the November arrest, as he felt he needed to sharpen up his mind mentally for life in the NFL. He cited his rough upbringing in Los Angeles, and the immaturity that stemmed from that.

He explained how he now tries to take responsibility for all his actions -- including a 2012 felony arrest after he was accused of stealing a laptop on Michigan's campus.

"This challenged my faith, a lot. I'd never been a big prayer before, I was never one of those guys. But this challenged my faith, made me trust in God," Clark said. "I was in counseling to prepare myself for the NFL. I've had family struggles, different people in my family who were going to approach me and ask me different questions about money and those things and I wanted to try to figure out how to deal with those questions I knew I'd face in the future."

Prior to the draft, Clark reached out to various coaches and players in the NFL to seek advice. He also spoke with former Michigan coach Brady Hoke and current coach Jim Harbaugh.
Additionally, he spent time training with former Michigan strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis at his gym in Plymouth. Clark credits Barwis for not only helping him get in great physical shape, but also for sharpening his mental stance on life in general outside of football.

Asked if he understands that there will be some Seahawk fans who won't initially accept him given his past, Clark said he did.

But at the same time, he asked them to give him a chance before making a final judgement.

"I don't believe in judging a book by its cover," Clark said. "Everyone who knows me says 'Frank's not an angry guy, the only time he's angry is on the field.' That's where I think the Seahawks want me to be angry.

"I want the fans and everyone to try and have faith in me. Give me a couple years to have faith in me. And I promise they won't be upset."

In terms of his fit in Seattle, Clark said he fell in love with the area on his visit to the franchise before the draft -- explaining that he'd never really been able to take in scenery like that growing up in a rough area of Los Angeles. "Where I come from, you don't see boats on the water," Clark said. "You see liquor stores on every corner."

The Seahawks are an organization that has taken chances in the draft on players with off-field issues before. Carroll and his staff have a relatively strong success rate at keeping troubled players focused on football, and away from problems.

But at the same time, Clark's clearly out of second chances. He says he knows this, too.

"I'm overwhelmed with joy, it's all so surreal and it hasn't even sunk in," he said. "It's an honor. It's a real honor.

"I'm only 21. My birthday is June 14. This is a privilege."

 

[Mariners_44]

IF this dude beat the crap out of his girlfriend I hope it comes out without a shadow of a doubt and he is cut. HOWEVER, if he truly didn't then I hope he grows as a man and a football player because he will be heavily criticized for the near future. As far as PC/JS are concerned, everyone wants to come out and talk about who they didn't interview as if they are detectives in their own right and have all the answers to how this process is suppose to take place. They don't have to explain themselves as far as I am concerned, especially since they continue to stand behind their process and unwillingness to sign someone that would lay a hand on a women. PC/JS haven't given anyone a reason to think they are lying or fabricating how this went down, and if someone feels the need to call them out it's more of an attempt to draw attention to themselves.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Good pass rushers are hard to come by. Seahawks have traded or sign free agent pass rusher, but when was the last time they got a good pass rusher in the draft? They gave it a whirl with Irving and he wasn't terrible, but he wasn't great. Before that it's been a long time. So JS seems to think Clark will be a outstanding pass rusher, getting that near the bottom of the second round is a bonus. Who cares if some think he would be there later, nobody actual knows that and the Seahawks weren't willing to chance it after his combine work out. I listen to JS talk about Clark and I like what I hear about his abilities.
As far as Clarks off field problem with his girl friend? Don't know how things went down and I don't think that problem will happen to Clark again. We've heard from the coaching staff at Michigan and they only have good things to say about Clark, doesn't come across as a head case to me.

 

[seattlefan75]

I will say this with this michael bennett i want out of seattle for more money bullshit and declining the option for bruce irvin drafting who they felt was the best DE available was a good choice

 

[JMR]

Not sure why we need another thread, but ok. The Seahawks have a lot on the line. They did their research on this prospect's situation and determined he was worth the risk at the place they drafted him. I don't have a fair reason to say they are wrong at this point.

 

[RobBase]

So, some fans and all the media all of a sudden care that this guy was drafted by Seattle , but had absolutely no problem with the NFL first inviting him to the combine and the draft itself.

Obviously this story is full blown media retard bait.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Not sure why we need another thread, but ok. The Seahawks have a lot on the line. They did their research on this prospect's situation and determined he was worth the risk at the place they drafted him. I don't have a fair reason to say they are wrong at this point.

The OP always like his own personal thread on topics.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

So, some fans and all the media all of a sudden care that this guy was drafted by Seattle , but had absolutely no problem with the NFL first inviting him to the combine and the draft itself.

No one who considers themselves intelligent should bite on this obvious media retard bait.

Good point.

 

[boogiewithstu2007]

So, some fans and all the media all of a sudden care that this guy was drafted by Seattle , but had absolutely no problem with the NFL first inviting him to the combine and the draft itself.

Obviously this story is full blown media retard bait.

Good point....

 

[RegentDenali]

He's exactly the kind of pass rusher Pete Carroll covets. He's a perfect fit in that respect.

And he was drafted right around where he should of been and other teams would have soon after the Seahawks did. The analysts saying that it's a reach because he "deserved" to drop to the 4th round is utter stupidity. The guy was a 1-2 round talent. We got him. The media hysteria over us picking him will die fast as the weeks go on. Sports radio in Seattle this week have been acting like we drafted Hitler. Most callers into the stations are already telling them to STFU about it already.

 

[Screamin12th]

Bruce Irvin had good success in college rushing the passer. 14 sacks and 8.5 sacks ( 22.5 total ) also 14 tfl and then 15 tfl (29 in 26 games) also had 5 total FF over those two years. Clark did not have to much success rushing the passer. he played in 10 more games than Irvin did and had 11 TOTAL sacks not 14 like Irvin got in one season but 11 over 35 games. He is almost as good at stopping the run with 35 total tackles for loss ( average of 1 per game ) but only had 1 FF.

He was a late 3rd round to mid 4th round talent at BEST with out the off the field issues, He would have been there for the Hawks 4th round pick and most likely their 5th. He is a heavy footed SLOW player with marginal athletic ability. Yes he had a nice 38 inch vert but he had a 4.8 ( 4.79 ) 40 and slow change of direction. He is quick off the ball and has a strong bull rush with good hand work FOR the bull rush but that is it. I find it funny that 1 out of every 5 scouting reports says he is a athlete but those other four say he is only a marginal athlete that is stiff.

Strong he is, a quick twitch pass rusher he is not. He will play early downs and one day MIGHT just MIGHT take over Bennett or Avrils job, If we are lucky and he plays well enough to earn a starting nod.

Don't like the pick where it was taken. I do not mind the player i just think he would have been there in the 4th or 5th and the Hawks could have got a stud Olineman.

Also as why i started this thread
This thread is about Clark and Clark only, no digging through draft day pick post to find posts that focus on our first pick.

Also Clark will never be a OLB in the true sense unless he lost some pounds and got that 40 yard dash under 4.6.

 

[flyerhawk]

I'm very much against domestic violence. But the girlfriend admitted to biting him on the nose and throwing crap at him. This wasn't a case of Clark just going caveman on her.

He should have shown more restraint certainly but it certainly sounds like ol girl was being more than a little physically provocative. Biting him on the nose is just as much domestic violence as whatever he did.

 

[RegentDenali]

Sceamin 12. Sorry bro, but claiming that Clark would of been there in the 4th and 5th rounds is fairies and unicorns wishful thinking. He would of been long gone. You talk as if the Seahawks were the only team who knew he was even in the draft. Your buying way too much into the generic draft grades assigned to players.

I remember Hawk fans claiming the same thing about Irvin when he was taken by the Hawks in the mid 1st. "He would of been available in 3rd round!!!" Bullshit he would have.