Seattle Seahawks: 3 Big takeaways from win vs. Raiders in Week 6

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: Tedric Thompson of Seattle Seahawks and Neiko Thorpe of Seattle Seahawks celebrate together during the NFL International series match between Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders at Wembley Stadium on October 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: Tedric Thompson of Seattle Seahawks and Neiko Thorpe of Seattle Seahawks celebrate together during the NFL International series match between Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders at Wembley Stadium on October 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 07: Defensive End Frank Clark #55 of the Seattle Seahawks intercepts the ball in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field on October 7, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 07: Defensive End Frank Clark #55 of the Seattle Seahawks intercepts the ball in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field on October 7, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

Frank Clark is a future Pro Bowler

With the 2.5 sacks he recorded on Sunday, Clark now has 5.5 through just six weeks. The 25-year old is in his fourth season out of Michigan and is having a career year. It was never a guarantee that Clark would develop into the lethal pass rusher he is today. Even though he was a second-round pick back in 2015, Clark didn’t become a full-time starter until last season. In fact, he only started five games in 2016 and didn’t start any in his rookie season.

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Prior to 2017, he was splitting snaps with Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett. Obviously both of those defensive ends left the Seahawks when the team began to retool after the 2016 season. That left the starting job in Clark’s hands.

Clark only had three sacks as a rookie, but he more than tripled the total in his sophomore season, recording 10 quarterback takedowns. Last year, he proved he could produce consistently, racking up nine more sacks. This season, he’s on pace to set a new personal best for sacks in a season.

Clark lacks the name brand popularity of sack artists like Joey Boss and Von Miller, but he is a star on the rise. And he’s still just 25 years old. The Seahawks have to find a way to sign Clark to a long-term contract. His deal actually ends after this season and he’ll want to get paid like the star he is.

Right now, he’s still on his rookie deal and has made an average of less than one million dollars per year since he entered the NFL. Regardless of how much he wants, the Seahawks need Clark to stick around and should pay him accordingly.