It may be time for the Seattle Seahawks to officially consider cutting their second-round draft pick this year, Frank Clark.
Clark was charged with domestic violence and assault last year, stemming from an incident at a hotel in Sandusky, Ohio. Prosecutor Lynne Gast-King didn’t think Clark actually hit the victim, despite police reports to the contrary, and let him off with a veritable slap-on-the-wrist $250 fine.
Now, there is new evidence that could force Seattle’s hand, and potentially lead to another investigation examining the entire situation all over again (pure speculation on my part).
The hotel manager was interviewed by police the day after the incident in question, according to Geoff Baker and Lewis Kamb of the Seattle Times, and she tells a different story than Gast-King:
Stephanie Burkhardt told authorities, “I will hit you like I hit her.” According to Burkhardt, Clark then “shouldered her out of the way.”
“Yes, he said it,” Burkhardt said. “I would never lie about something like that.”
“I don’t know why they didn’t even question me about it,” Burkhardt said regarding the prosecutor’s office. “He straight up admitted to hitting her, and they didn’t do anything about it.”
This story continues to get weirder and weirder, and none of the information coming out is anything good for Clark or the Seahawks.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the New England Patriots have set a precedent for cutting a drafted player before he ever hit the field. Christian Peter, a third-round pick, was cut just three days after being drafted in 1996.
It’s also important to note the comments Seahawks general manager John Schneider made during the 2012 NFL draft (via ESPN.com).
We would never take a player that struck a female or had a domestic violence dispute like that.
If the Seahawks are smart, they will seriously consider moving on from Clark. It remains to be seen whether they will.
Photo: USA Today Sports