Versatile Ahtyba Rubin bolsters Seahawks' defensive line depth

The man who embodies the newfound depth along Seattle's defensive line plays multiple positions, answers to the nickname of "Tuba" and looks like the bullet from Super Mario Brothers.

Meet Ahtyba Rubin, a defensive tackle Seattle signed this offseason from Cleveland. His first name is pronounced Ah-tah-bah, but he'd just as soon let you call him Tub, and listed at 325 pounds he is tied as the heaviest player on Seattle's roster.

Oh yeah, he's also probably going to be the starter alongside Brandon Mebane. That became evident on Sunday when the Seahawks released Tony McDaniel following Bobby Wagner's extension. Letting go of McDaniel was no small decision, and not just because McDaniel was the biggest member of Seattle's defensive line.

"It is a significant loss," coach Pete Carroll said. "Tony has been a really good core player. We really liked him, what he's brought to our club. The decision sucks, but we had to do something."

That's the reality dictated in a salary-capped league, and with the Seahawks spending more than $130 million in the span of three days by extending the contracts of first Russell Wilson and then Wagner, it meant they had to prune elsewhere.

The fact that it was McDaniel who was let go shows how far Seattle has come in line depth since last season's Super Bowl. That's not a knock on McDaniel. On the contrary, he was a key cog in Seattle's base defense over the past two seasons and was one of the last big men standing in the Super Bowl.

First it was Brandon Mebane with a hamstring injury. Then Jordan Hill was lost for the year with a calf injury. Throw in the injuries to defensive end Cassius Marsh and Cliff Avril suffering a concussion in the Super Bowl, and by the time that game was over, Seattle was giving Super Bowl repetitions to Landon Cohen at defensive tackle.

Mebane is back and in the best shape of his career, according to Carroll. Hill is ready to go, too. And then there's Rubin, whose prominence in Seattle's plans was evident with McDaniel's release.

"He moves right up into the role of that big guy that can stuff the line of scrimmage," Carroll said of Rubin. "He's an unusual player in pursuit for a big man. He chases the ball like crazy. So we have a really good alternative now as he steps up."

Rubin has played seven seasons in the NFL, all with Cleveland. He finished a four-year, $26 million deal with the Browns last season before signing a one-year deal with the Seahawks in the offseason.

McDaniel was scheduled to make $2.5 million, and his release saves nearly $2 million against the cap. But cost-cutting was only one part of this decision. Seattle wouldn't have made the move with McDaniel if it didn't feel it was better along the defensive line this season. That's where Rubin comes in.

"They gave me an opportunity," Rubin said. "Pete said he wanted me to be part of the team, and I couldn't say, 'No.' I'm happy to be here."

http://mynorthwest.com/292/2791609/Versatile-Ahtyba-Rubin-bolsters-Seahawks-defensive-line-depth

good for rubin. going to be a starter on a team that has a good chance at a ring.

gonna miss him.. wish him well tho

Always liked Rubin as well ... just got older and was no longer as effective for us. I hope he does well as a rotational guy in Seattle

Rubin seems to be the frontrunner to start in McDaniel’s three-technique spot alongside nose tackle Brandon Mebane, with Jordan Hill and D’Anthony Smith also part of the defensive tackle rotation.

I understand the contract issues, but as far as on the field performance..........I'd much rather have Rubin than Phil Taylor.

I'd second this ... I'd rather have Wynn, Hughes, Kitchen, Shelton than Phil

I'll third it.

Give me ten Rubins any day of the week.

Have fun with Rubin getting crushed off the ball and driven back four feet.

yea. thats why a superbowle contender wanted him. pffft

2015 New England Patriots: Ranking the Roster from 90 to 1

18. Jabaal Sheard (26), DE/LB: One of the biggest front seven signings of Bill Belichick’s tenure. The signing went well under the radar because it happened right around the time Darrelle Revis bolted for those perpetual losers in New York. Sheard is a good player who fits exceptionally well in the scheme. The Patriots liked him a lot coming out of Pittsburgh, Michael Lombardi has a long history with him in Cleveland, and he should be able to hit the ground running. Sheard gives the Patriots a third pass rusher, which takes the load off of Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones. Both players have worn down over the course of the last two seasons, so adding another pass rusher was critical. He’ll make an impact this season.

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2015/08/2...-90-to-1.html/3

Rubin always a favorite... son and I met him here in the small town we live in... he was working with a trainer we were using also.

Great guy, humble and hard working, I was sorry to see him go, though in all honesty he had lost a step and was getting handled a lot last year.

I hope he does well in Seattle, but lets not extrapolate him signing there as some great move by Seattle and some major failing by the Browns.

Like any players at this point in his career he is a situational rotation player that Seattle felt filled a need for them and we did not... good for him.

Funny how if this were an article about a browns signing it would be dismissed as an early camp fluff article but from Seattle it is an epiphany

Sheard should do well there as 3rd down situational pass rusher.... his release from here was to me the biggest head scratcher of the off season.

Keep looking for something, some reason but really don't see it.

just wondering if you checked the stats for the guy he bumped? if you did there is good reason to think rubin is a upgrade, younger, cheaper. its what good GMs do.

Really, and here I am thinking they signed him to bump a better player for them...LOL. I think it would be obvious they consider him an upgrade to the player he replaced... that is what ANY GM does.

oh some dont. some pay more for older players on there last legs to try to make sure there draft picks play.

Rubin is one of my favorite Browns of all time. He just quietly busted his butt, and never complained about anything. He never took a play off when he was on the field, and he always gave everything he had.

For some reason people think that Rubin is some 35 year old guy or something. but he just turned 29 in July.

I like what Pet is building on defense, but I, personally, will miss Rubin. I usually don't care much about former players when they leave here, but i wish Rubin well. He was what I hope for when it comes to "playing like a Brown".

Going into last season, I'd have agreed with you. After last season, even with the injuries, I can't agree.

I'll give you Hughes for sure, maybe Winn... but I can't say Kitchen at all and Shelton still hasn't proven anything.

I don't think people realize how bad Rubin was last year.

He played on one leg for much of the season, having injured his ankle fairly early on. However, he fought his way back and played with the bad ankle, because we had lost Taylor and Hughes. He probably shouldn't have been playing at all. That ankle definitely impacted his pursuit, which has been one of his real strengths.

Where did you get "epiphany" from? All I said is that I would rather have Rubin than Phil Taylor. A couple of other guys agreed. That is not an epiphany. It's an opinion.

Now, the article about Sheard was certainly a fluff piece. Lombardi does NOT have a long relationship w/Sheard. Sheard is an okay player, but I will miss Skrine and Rubin more than him.

One thing that is a bit of a concern. We seemed to have gotten a lot older. Starks is older than Rubin and Sheard. Williams is older than Skrine. Bowe is up there. Hartline isn't young. McCown is very old. Not sure about all these moves in the long term.

Rubin as a player will be missed in Cleveland. Rubin as a man will be missed even more.

Good luck to Rubin. He was reliable here and played hard. One of those rare late round hits for us. I'm not really a Seahawks fan but I hope they do well so he can taste a winning culture for a change.

Rubin will fit in well as a swing/rotational player there in Seattle. I had/have nothing but respect for him. Big guy, calm and quiet, always put in the work and for the most part was reliable for us. Great mentor to have and locker room guy.

Wishing him the best there in Seattle.

Ok, when I read that my mind put a comma in it so it read like this...


For a second I thought Vers got a new deal with the Seahawks.

I wouldn't say we've gotten a lot older. Rubin was swapped out for Starks but we also added Shelton and Cooper on the DL, who are rookies. Skrine is out an Williams is in, but we also drafted Gaines and IEO as inside corners this year after going with Gilbert and Desir (who both have a lot to prove but are young) to play outside last year. Bowe is old but is the same age that Austin was last year, so that's not really older per se. Hartline is 28, is a season removed from back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. Gabriel is young but I completely agree on the lack of young talent at this position.

We did draft 11 guys this year and are slated to have 11 more draft picks next year. I agree that our lack of talent at WR is concerning and it's sad we have to hope a QB convert works out. But overall I am not concerned about the age of our team.

I heard Holmgren was going to Seattle and Vers was his first hire

Could be a lot worse....

Remember how damn old the roster was in 2009 with all the Jets cast off players!?

He would hire me as the tackling dummy.

almost as old as the 2008 roster. ofcourse another year or so with farmer as gm and it will be the same.

For kickers league minimum, I'd be all about being a tackle dummy lol.

You could lead the league in being a dummy.

Pro Bowl Tight End Jordan Cameron 'Shocked' by Dolphins Experience So Far

Maybe it’s the Dolphins reputation around the league? Or maybe it’s what happens after playing for the Cleveland Browns? Former Pro-Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron told me on NBC Sports Radio Sunday that he’s been "kind of shocked" by the Miami Dolphins 1st class environment.
Cameron signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Dolphins this offseason and here’s what he said when I asked what has surprised him the most:

But is Tannehill the best quarterback he’s ever played with?
"Arguably so, he’s definitely up there," Cameron said.

Cameron probably doesn’t want to diss any former teammates but there’s no question Tannehill is an upgrade on the QB’s Cleveland was throwing out there during Cameron’s four seasons with the Browns.

Cameron missed six games last season because of concussions and said missing time "wears on you mentally, knowing you could be the man out there and you’re not." But he said his concussion history also left him with a bad feeling about fantasy football.

"I can’t repeat what the fans say about me and fantasy football. You get injured and you hear some terrible things sometimes," he said. "I can’t stand fantasy football. It drives me crazy. I mean, it helps the game so much, don’t get me wrong, but you hear these people, they lose their minds if you mess up their team. They don’t even care what you’re going through,” Cameron said.

How bad does it get?

"They’re telling me ‘I hope you die,’...

I’m like geez, I’m trying to get back, I’m not trying to hurt your team, it’s crazy," he said.

During the interview Cameron also told a great story about his eye-opening "welcome to the NFL" moment.

"The first play I ever played in I was running a fade route and I got pushed out of bounds and one of the lineman, Tony Pashos, he brings me aside and says ‘You’re never going to make it in this league. You got pushed out of bounds your first play,'" Cameron said. "He’s just shaking his head looking at me and he was saying it with a straight face. A couple weeks later, he came up to me and says 'I was just testing you to see how mentally tough you are.' He turned out to be a great guy. It’s just kind of a scary thing when a 12-year [veteran] tells you you’re never going to make it."

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Pro-B...-320526032.html

Is this the same first class environment that was alienating players because they were being picked on by racist d-bags?

So Tony Pashos kind of sounds like an a-hole.

Same here. He was one of my favorite players since '99. Played hard every play. Never heard a peep from him. I still think he has a good year or two in him and I'm happy he's in a really good situation.

Now I don't feel as bad for calling him one while I would watch him play

Sounds like it was a joke to me. Dead panned, straight faced. That's how some people joke around.

yea. better than fair one too. jmo.

Well, I do have years of experience in that role.

I criticize the Browns when I think they deserve it, but I am not really seeing any quotes from Cameron that justifies the author's assertion.

Those were my exact thoughts after reading it as well.

Very misleading.