The Seattle Seahawks have released defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin, per Ian Rapaport.
The #Seahawks are releasing Ahtyba Rubin, source said. They tried to deal him after acquiring Sheldon Richardson.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 2, 2017
The Seahawks acquired star defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson on Friday and rumors immediately surfaced that they were shopping Rubin on the trade market. The landing spot most-speculated was the Denver Broncos, which could be where Rubin ends up by Monday.
Rubin signed a one-year deal in 2015 after he had spent seven years with the Cleveland Browns. He played well enough to earn a three-year, $12 million contract to remain in Seattle, but was less effective last season and the Seahawks clearly had trouble applying interior pressure on quarterbacks. That being said, they still had the number one run defense in the NFL and Rubin definitely had something to do with that.
He also forced three fumbles in 2016.
Releasing Rubin on Saturday gives another defensive tackle on the roster a potential opportunity to survive final cuts, including Rodney Coe, Garrison Smith, or Tylor Harris. Or the Seahawks may yet acquire another defensive tackle. They have not made any announcements on a potential return for rookie Malik McDowell.