With three days remaining before the 2019 NFL Draft kicks off, trade rumors continue to heat up.
The biggest name available ahead of Thursday's first round is Seattle Seahawks franchise-tagged defensive end Frank Clark.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday on Good Morning Football that the Seahawks have been talking to several teams about Clark, including the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets.
It's possible a Clark trade goes down early this week shaking up the draft. It's been reported that the Seahawks have sought a first-round pick in return for the pass rusher.
Seattle GM John Schneider made it clear he'd be willing to listen to trade proposals for Clark when talking to the media last week.
"We are always trying to understand what the landscape is throughout the National Football League," he said. "If we didn't, we wouldn't be doing our job. We can't ever have our head in the sand with anything. But we love Frank, obviously. That's why we franchised him."
On Monday, Schneider told reporters it would be "feasible but very challenging" for the Seahawks to keep Clark, All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and fourth-year defensive tackle Jarran Reed long-term.
Clark is slated to earn $17 million on the franchise tag in 2019. Any team acquiring the 25-year-old pass-rusher must be ready to hand him a massive new contract -- likely landing somewhere around the $90 million deal Trey Flowers got from the Detroit Lions this offseason.
Clark is a talented pass rusher coming off his best season, with a career-high 13 sacks. A history of domestic violence issues stemming from his college days, however, could play a role in a team's willingness to give up a bounty of draft picks, then hand the player a massive payday.
Schneider has been open about potentially adding more picks to his draft haul -- he has just four selections currently. While shipping Clark out of town would leave a huge hole on defense, it's Schneider's best chip at the moment. If a team is prepared to part with a big haul for that chip, the GM is willing to make a move.
