Frank Clark’s time with the Denver Broncos will become a footnote. The 1-4 Broncos, who signed Clark to a one-year deal this offseason, will move on from the veteran pass rusher via either trade or release, according to ESPN.
Frank Clark’s days as a Bronco are coming to an end, per sources. Be it via a trade or release, the team will be moving on from Clark soon.
It’s the second pass rusher Denver will have parted ways with in recent days, as the team traded Randy Gregory less than a week ago.…
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 12, 2023
Denver already traded fellow edge defender Randy Gregory to the San Francisco 49ers last week and is reportedly “open for business” as the NFL‘s Oct. 31 trade deadline approaches.
Clark has been drawing trade interest. Where are his best landing spots around the league?
UPDATE, Oct. 13 (9:45 a.m. ET): The Broncos are releasing Clark, according to ESPN.
Frank Clark Landing Spots
Clark played 25 snaps in the Broncos’ season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders but then missed the next three games with a hip injury. He returned for 11 snaps in Week 5 but has already been ruled out for Thursday Night Football with an illness.
Clark agreed to give back $1.679 million in salary to facilitate a move out of Denver, as NFL Network reported. Any team that acquires the 30-year-old will only be responsible for a league minimum salary for the rest of the season.
Where could the Broncos send Clark in the coming days?
Denver might not be willing to trade Clark within the AFC West, but it’s not as if him becoming a member of the Kansas City Chiefs will change the Broncos’ fortunes in 2023.
Count Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones among those who want K.C. to reunite with Clark, who spent four seasons with the Chiefs and won Super Bowl 57 with the club last year.
The #Broncos and DE Frank Clark could be on the verge of parting ways, per @FieldYates and @MikeGarafolo.
Could the veteran pass rusher reunite with the #Chiefs if he’s released? 👀#BroncosCountry | #ChiefsKingdom
pic.twitter.com/P8KDciV1Rz— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 12, 2023
The Chiefs aren’t exactly light on pass rushers. Jones is dominant from the inside. George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah have held things down on the edge, and free agent signing Charles Omenihu is set to return from a six-game suspension next week.
But Clark would give Kansas City more depth, a familiar face, and an experienced veteran as it pushes for another Lombardi.
Los Angeles Chargers
Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers could desperately use another pass-rushing option. Khalil Mack has turned back the clock this season and posted six sacks in the Bolts’ Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but Joey Bosa (hamstring) hasn’t played since Week 13.
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The Chargers rank just 24th with a 37% pass-rush win rate. Second-round rookie
Tuli Tuipulotu has flashed (nine pressures against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3), but Los Angeles could stand to add another body, especially if Bosa’s injury continues to linger.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are having a lot of trouble getting after opposing passers. John Harbaugh’s squad has the NFL’s fourth-worst pressure rate through four weeks, ahead of only the Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Jadeveon Clowney has 20 pressures, but no other Ravens edge defender has more than eight. Odafe Oweh (ankle) hasn’t suited up since Week 2. David Ojabo could miss the rest of the season, and Tyus Bowser is still on the non-football injury list.
In recent years, Baltimore has gotten a lot of production out of veterans like Clowney, Justin Houston, and Pernell McPhee. Clark could become the most recent contributor to join that list.
Los Angeles Rams
As Sean McVay noted yesterday, the Los Angeles Rams are no longer in a position to trade multiple early-round draft picks for veterans at the deadline. But that doesn’t mean L.A. — which has looked surprisingly effective through five weeks — couldn’t consider a more modest trade for someone like Clark.
The Rams’ offense has been able to put up points, but the club’s defense is still inefficient. Los Angeles ranks in the bottom third of the NFL in sacks, pressure rate, QB knockdown rate, and pass-rush win rate.
Assuming that Clark won’t cost much more than a late-round selection, the Rams could afford to bolster their defense by making a trade.