Defensive end Frank Clark has been skipping the Seattle Seahawks OTAs as he enters the final year of his contract. Clark presumably wants a new contract as soon as possible, but according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the team has not had any “substantive discussions” with Clark's representatives about a new deal.

The Seahawks used to have the policy of extending players in the offseason before the last year of the contract but this could be a different situation. The Seahawks have never seen Clark perform for a prolonged period without veterans Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, and they could be waiting to see how he performs without them taking some of the attention off of him.

The Seahawks still expect Clark back when they open their mandatory mincamp, and if he doesn't show up he could be subjected to a fine for each day he misses.

Clark has proven to be quite a productive player for Seahawks, who drafted him in the second round in 2015. He had 10 sacks and 47 total tackles in 15 games in 2016. And in his first season as a more regular starter in 2017, he added nine more sacks.

With Bennett, Avril, and Sheldon Richardson all departing this offseason, Clark will have to carry a much larger load this season in terms of providing the Seahawks with a consistent pass rush. If the Seahawks don't get an extension done and Clark delivers a monster season, they risk losing the young pass-rusher on the open market next offseason.