Virtually inactive in the NFL bazaar since trading for New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham 10 days ago, the Seahawks Thursday moved to bolster their defensive line by signing free agent defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin and bringing back DT D’Anthony Smith. With Graham aboard, the Seahawks predictably lost TE Tony Moeaki.
The Seahawks had a void to fill in the middle of their defensive line and plugged it with Rubin, younger and more athletic than his predecessor, Kevin Williams, an unrestricted free agent. Rubin, better suited to Seattle’s 4-3 defensive scheme than Cleveland’s 3-4, was a sixth-round pick by the Browns in the 2008 draft.
The 6-foot-2, 325-pound Rubin, 28, played 99 games (75 starts). He has never been a star, but is expected to be both a starter and an upgrade over Williams, who is expected to retire. Williams moved to nose tackle when a pulled hamstring thwarted for the season Brandon Mebane, who because of his salary ($5.7 million), may be too expensive for the Seahawks.
Smith, a third-round pick by Jacksonville in 2012, was acquired by the Seahawks from the Jaguars in 2013 for a conditional draft pick, waived, and re-signed to Seattle’s practice squad. Smith has played in 10 games in his career, recording 15 tackles.
Moeaki, who provided the Seahawks depth at tight end last season after Zach Miller was injured, signed with Dan Quinn’s Atlanta Falcons. The 27-year-old Moeaki signed with Seattle in November and played in six games, catching eight passes for 134 yards, including a one-yard touchdown from Russell Wilson against Kansas City.
Moeaki expressed interest in returning to the Seahawks, but the club’s trade for Graham nixed that possibility.
Also Thursday, free agent backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson visited with the Miami Dolphins. Jackson has also expressed an interest in signing with the Minnesota Vikings.
SEAHAWKS FREE AGENT TRACKER
Unrestricted Free Agents
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/8 | TE Anthony McCoy | Re-signed | One year; injured last 2 seasons | ||
| 3/10 | CB Byron Maxwell | Signed-Phil | 6 years, $63 million: ($10.3 avg) | ||
| 3/10 | LG James Carpenter | Signed-NYJ | 4 years, $20 million | ||
| 3/10 | LB Malcolm Smith | Signed-Oak | 2 years, $7 million | ||
| 3/12 | DE O. Schofield | Signed-Atl | 9 QB hits, 2 sacks for ’14 Hawks | ||
| 3/13 | PR Bryan Walters | Signed-Jax | Primary punt returner in ’14 | ||
| 3/16 | S Jeron Johnson | Signed-Was | $3.5 million over 2 years | ||
| 3/19 | TE Tony Moeaki | Signed-Atl | 6 games, 2 starts in ’14 | ||
| 3/19 | DT D. Smith | Re-signed | Spent 2014 on injured reserve | ||
| 4/2 | FB Will Tukuafu | Re-signed | Made 2 starts in 2014 | ||
| 4/2 | DE D. Dobbs | Re-signed | 4 games in 2014, no starts |
Restricted Free Agents
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/6 | DE Greg Scruggs | Re-signed | Injured reserve last 2 years (knee) |
| 3/9 | LB Mike Morgan | Re-signed | Played in 53 games since 2011 |
| 3/9 | WR Ricardo Lockette | Re-signed | 11 catches, 2 TDs in ’14 |
| 3/9 | CB DeShawn Shead | Re-signed | Played in 16 games with 1 start in ’14 |
Extensions / Restructures / Cuts
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/6 | RB Marshawn Lynch | Extend. | 3 years, $31 million; $12 million in 2015 |
| 3/6 | TE Zach Miller | Cut | Played 3 games in ’14; had severe ankle injury |
| 3/6 | OT Garrett Scott | Cut | Waived due to a non-football heart condition |
Remaining Unrestricted Free Agents
| Player | Pos. | Age | Current Avg. | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Williams | DT | 34 | $2,100,000 | Considering retirement |
| Tarvaris Jackson | QB | 31 | $1,250,000 | Played in one game in 2014 |
| Heath Farwell | ILB | 33 | $1,125,000 | Retiring to coach |
| Clint Gresham | LS | 28 | $827,500 | Played in all 16 games |
| Landon Cohen | DT | 28 | $730,000 | Played in one playoff game |
| Lemuel Jeanpierre | C | 27 | $645,000 | Played in 15 games in ’14 |
Remaining Restricted Free Agents
| Player | Pos. | Age | Current Avg. | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Shilling | G | 26 | $645,000 | Went on IR Nov. 10 (knee) |
| David Gilreath | WR | 26 | $495,000 | Didn’t play in 2014 |
| Jermaine Kearse | WR | 25 | $480,000 | Winning TD in NFC Champ. |
Free Agents Signed
| Date | Player | Pos. | From | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/9 | Will Blackmon | CB | Jacksonville | 12 starts for the Jaguars last 2 years |
| 3/9 | Cary Williams | CB | Philadelphia | Deal is 3 years, $18 million |
| 3/16 | Jesse Williams | DT | Seattle | Cut March 6, re-signed |
| 3/19 | Ahtyba Rubin | DT | Cleveland | Better suited to Seattle’s 4-3 |
Trades
| Date | Player | Pos. | From | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/10 | Jimmy Graham | TE | New Orleans | Cost: C Max Unger, No. 1 pick |
1 Comment
Does this imply that Mebane might not be back??? OY!