Seahawks deal for 1st-round pick

Trade of Clark to Chiefs shakes up draft

The Seahawks have bolstered their haul of draft picks while sending away their premier pass rusher to an AFC contender.

The Seahawks agreed to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Frank Clark to the Chiefs, a person with knowledge of the move told USA TODAY’s Mike Jones. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move was not yet official.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who was the first to report the deal, said the Seahawks would receive the No. 29 overall pick in the 2019 draft as well as a second-rounder in 2020 and an exchange of third-round picks this year.

Clark, 25, received the franchise tag from Seattle after recording 32 sacks in the last three years. He agreed to a fiveyear, $105.5 million deal with the Chiefs as part of the trade, according to Schefter. The total sum is just in excess of the contract that Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence signed this month, though it includes $1.5 million less ($63.5 million) guaranteed.

The move gives the Chiefs clarity in the pass rush after the team traded Dee Ford to the 49ers and released Justin Houston. New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is moving the team to a 4-3 scheme and traditionally relies on generating pressure from his front four rather than from blitzes.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider previously said he was hoping to accumulate more draft picks, as the team was set to have a league-low four before Tuesday’s move. The team now owns the Nos. 21 and 29 selections in the first round.

While Seattle now might be on the hunt for a pass rusher to replace Clark, it will not have to pay him an exorbitant salary after giving quarterback Russell Wilson an NFL-record four-year, $140 million contract last week.