Seahawks use franchise tag for first time, put on Clark

The Seattle Seahawks used the franchise tag for the first time since 2010, putting one on defensive end Frank Clark, the team announced Monday. Clark had a team-high 13 sacks in the 2018 regular season and 32 in the past three years.

The two sides have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal. If none is reached, they can't negotiate again until after the season. Clark, 25, was a second-round pick out of Michigan in the 2015 draft. He earned $943,938 in the final year of his rookie deal last season and will receive a huge bump in 2019 one way or another. He would make $17.128 million under a franchise tag for a defensive end.

Clark told The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., in January that he expected to remain with the Seahawks this season, if not beyond. "At the end of the day, I just feel like whatever's in my coach's plans, whatever's in our guys' plans, I think they are going to take care of it," Clark said after the Seahawks lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.

Seattle has been successful in negotiating contract extensions for most of its stars this decade, including quarterback Russell Wilson and defensive backs Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman. The last player to receive the franchise tag was kicker Olindo Mare in 2010.