Redskins Sign S Ryan Clark

[Boone]

For Immediate Release
April 2, 2014

REDSKINS SIGN S RYAN CLARK

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have signed unrestricted free agent safety Ryan Clark. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Clark (5-11, 205) is a 12-year NFL veteran who originally entered the NFL as a college free agent with the New York Giants on April 22, 2002. He spent two seasons with the Giants from 2002-03 before signing with the Redskins on July 31, 2004. He played 28 games with 24 starts with the Redskins from 2004-05 before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he spent the last eight seasons from 2006-13.

For his career, Clark has appeared in 161 regular season games with 137 starts, compiling 807 tackles (562 solo), 52 passes defensed, 15 interceptions, five forced fumbles, six fumbles recovered and 3.5 sacks. He played in 92 of a possible 96 regular season games with Pittsburgh since 2008 and helped the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances in that time frame, including a 27-23 victory in Super Bowl XLIII.

Clark earned his first career Pro Bowl selection following the 2011 season, a season in which he started all 16 games of the Steelers’ 12-4 campaign. One season later, he was named the Steelers’ 2012 Walter Payton Man of the Year for his off-the-field community service as well his on-field performance.

Clark played collegiately at Louisiana State from 1998-2001, where he started 36 consecutive games at free safety for the Tigers. As a sophomore in 1999, he started all 11 games and led LSU in tackles (110), pass breakups (10), interceptions (three) and forced fumbles (three).

Clark, 34, attended Archbishop Shaw H.S. in Marrero, La., where he was named a Class 5A All-State selection and District 10-5A defensive MVP. He was born Oct. 12, 1979.

 

[Bulldog]

I hope he drinks from the Fletcher fountain of youth. London was just getting started at age 33/34.

 

[Bulldog]

Imagine if we had Sean and Ryan the past 7 years.

There would have been no need to waste a top 10 selection on LaRon Landry in the next draft and this team might have been able to go further in 2012.

 

[Dik Shuttle]

Imagine if we had Sean and Ryan the past 7 years.

There would have been no need to waste a top 10 selection on LaRon Landry in the next draft and this team might have been able to go further in 2012.

While that's fun to imagine... there's no possible way I can LIKE that post!... lol.

 

[CounterTrey]

I think his biggest ipact will be in the locker room. Good signing.

 

[Bulldog]

Well, it bothers me when NFL people keep saying the Redskins have never had any good safeties and the position has been a black hole forever.

We had what likely would have been a player in Taylor that went down with the Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, LT as one of the greats if he had lived.

 

[tshile]

reserving judgement on signing until i see the dollars...

meriweather is not a solution and I don't think we even have a #2 safety.... doughty? that's not a solution either.

hopefully we paid fair market value for an aging vet with a good resume...

come on allen, give me something to root for here...

 

[Bulldog]

The signing of Clark allows the Redskins to move Meriweather to strong safety and allow him to play closer to the line of scrimmage.

That I think will make him a more effective player.

In terms of contract, I heard that the deal was one year for $1.3M.

But nothing official.

 

[tshile]

The signing of Clark allows the Redskins to move Meriweather to strong safety and allow him to play closer to the line of scrimmage.

That I think will make him a more effective player.

In terms of contract, I heard that the deal was one year for $1.3M.

But nothing official.

I'll do cartwheels if we got him for 1.3

 

[Ax]

He walks through the door as the best safety on our roster. I hope, along with his play, that he can help Thomas, and Rambo, accelerate their learning curve.
This is a good signing. Someone with enough professionalism to counteract some we've signed, without much.

 

[tshile]

I am afraid that Rambo is going to wash out. Having to learn how to properly tackle at the pro level is not something most players should have to be taught. That is pop warner and HS technique. I really would like for the kid to pan out, but I dont have much hope there.

yeah

consistently hitting late and out of bounds, enough so to draw flags, at the pro level....

something is wrong. who knows, maybe he can figure it out...

 

[Ax]

There's always hope.

And for the record, most 1st year safeties have tendency to hit late, and out of bounds, trying too hard at times to impress.

Sean Taylor did at first, too.

 

[Ax]

Agreed. I was only addressing t's concern about late hits, and out of bounds hits.

 

[Dik Shuttle]

Merriweather

I actually like Merriweather (sp?) a great deal. I just hope he can adjust his skill set a bit & stay healthy. But that's about it. Definitely need some help there.

Maybe the offense's new production will keep the D fresher, though & maximize the admittedly sub-standard talent. The difference between a good and bad squad in this league is so marginal, that plus the added points might just make it work.

 

[TomE]

Is B. Rambo a lost cause?

P. Hazard over at Hogs Haven, a Washington Redskins community is doing a take on Rambo, checking out game film, making observations and the like.

Might check it out if you guys/gals haven't already.


Part 1
Hazard's Huddle: Is Bacarri Rambo a Lost Cause? (Part 1) - Hogs Haven

Part 2
Hazard's Huddle: Is Bacarri Rambo a Lost Cause? (Part 2) - Hogs Haven

Part 3
Hazard's Huddle: Is Bacarri Rambo a Lost Cause? (Part 3) - Hogs Haven

 

[Chris]

Mike Jones of WaPo reporting 1 year for 1M w/145k signing bonus.

Peanuts.

 

[Bulldog]

Less than I thought.

Clark being here allows Meriweather to go back to SS which is his natural position from what I have read.

Sometimes acquiring one player frees up another player to make a larger contribution.

Clark at FS and Brandon at SS makes me feel a lot better for 2014 than what we trotted out there last year, namely a late round rookie in Rambo and then a career special teamer in Doughty.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Mike Jones of WaPo reporting 1 year for 1M w/145k signing bonus.

Peanuts.

Not to you and me

 

[Dik Shuttle]

Less than I thought.

Clark being here allows Meriweather to go back to SS which is his natural position from what I have read.

That's fine for Meriweather. But Clark at free? Does he still have the jets? I doubt it. Clark is in that age where you start moving to Strong.