The Baltimore Ravens traded safety, Chuck Clark, to the New York Jets in return for a 7th-round pick in this year's upcoming NFL Draft. What does this mean for the Jets and Ravens? What other players are impacted by this and what does this mean for fantasy managers? Let's dive right in and see what all this means.

The Past

The Baltimore Ravens selected Chuck Clark in the 6th round with the 186th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Clark played for the Virginia Tech Hokies (13’-16’), producing career totals of 292 total tackles, 170 solos, 14 TFLs, 2½ sacks, two INTs, and 20 PBUs. He had one 100+ tackle season as a junior (102) and nearly another as a senior (93). Clark bounced around the secondary, mostly between safety and cornerback but during his time with the Hokies, he was a play-making defensive back who could do everything that he was asked. 

Clark spent six seasons in Baltimore where he got better each and every year. He went from a backup and special teams ace to the starting safety that we see now. Clark leaves the Ravens with totals of 384 tackles, 240 solo stops, eight TFLs, 3½ sacks, five INTs, 32 PBUs, one TD, five forced fumbles, and four recoveries. He had a career-high 101 tackles this past season with the Ravens. Over the past three seasons, he started in all 49 games while playing 100% of the snaps defensively (3,193 total snaps) over that stretch. That type of availability, durability, and productivity is what has made him so valuable. They were rumors of him getting traded last year but they decided to hold for one more year. Fast forward a year later and it became a reality after they drafted Kyle Hamilton in the first round, who is a  younger and more talented player that cost way less making this a no-brainer for the Ravens.

The Future

The New York Jets got one hell of a deal giving up only a 7th-round pick for a quality starting safety that is proven and battle-tested, such as Clark. This trade came about when they decided that they would let Lamarcus Joyner hit free agency. Keep in mind that Joyner was a free safety and Clark is a strong safety. The Jets also have Jordan Whitehead at strong safety so this puzzle is done yet. The Jets could cut Whitehead and save $7.25m versus the cap, which I believe is very likely. Clark would take over that spot and they could bring in someone at free safety to complement Clark. It just makes sense after they traded for Clark.

With Clark at strong safety, they get a player who can both cover and come down in the box if needed. On the field, he is as reliable as you’ll find, as he had a 3.8% missed tackle rate (4 missed tackles on 1,167 total snaps) last season which is among the league's best. Clark is still on the young side (turns 28 on April 19th), so there is a lot left in the tank for him. New York has quite the collection of defensive talent and adding Clark to the secondary only makes that unit even better. Having a player of this caliber on the back end of the defense allows more creativity for the coaches to get with the guys playing in front of him. Not a high-profile move but one that will have a huge impact

Fantasy Outlook

It’s crazy how one simple move can unlock such a plethora of options for fantasy managers and the trade of Clark to the Jets is a perfect example. For Clark, I don’t expect anything to change. He’ll come in and be that super durable and reliable weekly fantasy option for fantasy managers. Over the past three seasons, he’s averaged 5.65 tackles per game with 60.2% of those being solo stops. I expect that’s how he’ll continue to produce with a slight potential increase possible. Clark is a solid low-end SAF2 to have on your fantasy teams. With Clark now out of the picture, it’s now time for the Ravens to see what they truly have in their youngster, Kyle Hamilton.

The Ravens drafted Hamilton in the 1st round with the 14th overall selection of last year's NFL Draft. He played in 16 games making four starts and producing 62 tackles, 46 solos, four TFLs, five QB hits, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Hamilton is much younger (22) and is on a rookie contract, that costs way less than what it would to re-sign Clark. Hamilton started the last five games of the season, including the playoffs, and averaged 6.2 tackles per game, while playing right around 80% of the snaps. Lots of meat still on the bone and fantasy managers that didn’t overreact to the slow start and held onto him are gonna reap the rewards. He’s easily a SAF2 option with tremendous upside to be a SAF1 option.

All stats provided by Pro Football Reference

Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy