The Baltimore Ravens bulked up their safety corps this offseason, signing Marcus Williams to a big free-agent deal and swiping rookie Kyle Hamilton with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The decision to draft Hamilton in the first round caught starter Chuck Clark by surprise.
"I was definitely surprised. I didn't know it was going to happen," Clark said, via the team's official website. "But, right now we're just going with it."
Following the draft, Clark appeared miffed at the Ravens adding a first-round safety. Speaking for the first time this offseason, the veteran confirmed that he requested a trade earlier this year.
"Me personally, I just felt the situation that I was in, how things were going, of course, yeah I did ask, 'Can I get out of here?'" Clark said. "And so, I felt like that didn't happen and I wasn't just going to give away my spot. If I'm not going to be a starter, it's going to have to be taken from me."
Despite the trade request, Clark didn't skip any voluntary workouts or make a big hullaballoo about his displeasure. Instead, he has continued to battle to keep his starting job. The 27-year-old has two years remaining on his three-year extension signed in 2020, but no more guaranteed money is left on the pact.
The additions of Williams and Hamilton give the Ravens a deep safety crew. However, with the rookie showing growing pains during preseason action, Clark's starting job appears safe for now. While the veteran sounds keenly aware his future in Baltimore might have an expiration date, that's not where his focus currently sits.
"I don't know what's going to happen moving forward, but I think that what you all have seen so far is how everyone has been in place," Clark said. "There was definitely a time I didn't know what was going to happen, honestly. And whatever was to come with that was going to come. At one point I did feel that way, but now that I'm out here with my team, man, I'm just like ... I'm here, I'm locked in. They're going to get what I got for right now. So, whatever comes in the future, that's what's going to come."
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