The Seahawks lost one of their best pass rushers this spring when they traded defensive end Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs just ahead of the 2019 NFL draft.
Many were scratching their heads initially, however, Seattle clearly came out ahead at the time, garnering the Chiefs’ first-round pick and next year’s second-round selection to add to their thin draft stock. The teams also swapped third-rounders for 2019.
After wheeling and dealing some more, the Seahawks ultimately walked away with a draft class of 11 new players, including defensive end L.J. Collier, who Seattle selected in the first round.
Fast forward to free agency, when the Seahawks were able to sign defensive end Ezekiel Ansah to the squad. After patiently waiting throughout the offseason for Ansah to recover from shoulder surgery, he’s finally ready to return to active duty.
That brings us to Saturday morning, when just hours before the 53-man roster cut deadline, Seattle stole Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney away from the Texans for Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo and a third-round draft pick next year.
Clowney, who was franchise-tagged by Houston, must play at his set price this season before the two sides can negotiate a long-term deal at the end of the year. Should Clowney decide to test the free agency waters instead, there’s a good chance Seattle could recoup its third-round pick given up in the initial trade.
The Seahawks still have some finagling to do to fit Clowney’s price tag under the salary cap before the trade becomes official, so Seattle’s recently-set 53-man roster will look different as a result.
Regardless, should Clowney provide Seattle with only one year of stellar play, all the changes on the defensive line will have been well worth the effort.
