Seahawks have agreed to bring back DT Ahtyba Rubin with 3-year deal

The Seahawks’ preemptive strike on the eve of free agency could be one of their most fundamental this offseason.

The team announced Monday night it had agreed to a three-year contract with defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin, keeping him from free agency. That is the easier of two key steps to maintain the league’s top rushing defense from 2015.

Rubin, 29, excelled last season as a “three-technique” run stuffer off the shoulder of the opposing guard. Seattle got him on a one-year deal last year for $2.6 million, when he was coming off an injury-affected 2014 season with Cleveland.

Rubin and veteran nose tackle Brandon Mebane were the foundation of the league’s No. 1 rush defense last season. Seattle would love to keep both, and needed to keep one to retain an anchor to what it considers the basis for the entire defensive system: stopping the run.

Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday Rubin will average $4 million per year in the new contract that includes a $4.5 million signing bonus. With a $1.5 million proration of that bonus, a reported 2016 base salary of $1 million plus a $500,000 roster bonus, Rubin will reportedly count $3 million against Seattle’s salary cap in 2016.

That leaves the team about $15 million under its cap for this year, money it will use to continue shopping when free agency officially begins Wednesday at 1p.m.

Rubin also made two big plays beyond his run-stuffing role last season: his second career interception, in November’s win over Pittsburgh; and a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter in Vikings territory during the Jan. 10 playoff game. The latter set up Steven Hauschka’s winning field goal late in Seattle’s 10-9 win in arctic Minnesota in the wild-card round.

That was the first postseason game of Rubin’s eight-year NFL career.

“Hopefully I can keep on stringing them along,” Rubin said of such big plays — and playoff appearances.

Mebane turned 31 in January. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the league’s market opens Wednesday.

The Seahawks’ agreement keeps Rubin from joining him.

The team has 15 other players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday, including linebacker Bruce Irvin, left tackle Russell Okung, right guard J.R. Sweezy, cornerback Jeremy Lane, wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and punter Jon Ryan.

This story was originally published March 7, 2016 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Seahawks have agreed to bring back DT Ahtyba Rubin with 3-year deal."