Seahawks release Tony McDaniel to clear cap room
Aug 2, 2015, 9:10 AM | Updated: 2:09 pm
Tony McDaniel's release clears cap room Seattle needed after extending Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. (AP)
(AP)
BY
Former Seattle Sports Lead Editor
RENTON – The Seahawks have released starting defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, no surprise given the team’s need for cap space after signing quarterback Russell Wilson and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner to extensions the past two days.
McDaniel’s release was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and has since been announced by the team.
“It is a significant loss,” coach Pete Carroll said Sunday. “Tony McDaniel has been a really good core player for us and we’ve really liked what he has brought to our club. This decision sucks but we had to something. Maybe there’s a chance we could get him back someday; I don’t know how that will work. But unfortunately that’s what had to happen today.”
McDaniel, 30, started the past two seasons for Seattle, having been signed before the 2013 season after the Seahawks let Alan Branch walk in free agency. McDaniel had a year remaining on his contract, which was scheduled to pay him a $2.5 million base salary and another $500,000 in a roster bonus, per the website Spotrac.com. Releasing him cleared $3 million in 2015 cap space.
The move will likely put to an end the questions about Brandon Mebane’s future with Seattle. He has a year remaining on his contract and is scheduled to count $5.7 million against the cap, a healthy sum that contributed to speculation that he could be released in a salary-cap move. That seems much less likely now that Seattle has released one of its other starting defensive tackles.
Free-agent addition Ahtyba Rubin is the likeliest candidate to start in place of McDaniel, who played what’s termed the three-technique defensive tackle spot. Rubin signed a one-year deal with Seattle in March after spending his first seven seasons in Cleveland.
