Rubin Keeps Stepping Up

[BernietheKid]

Rubin Keeps Stepping Up

By Fred Greetham
OBR Browns Reporter
Posted Jun 7, 2010

The nose tackle continues to impress as he prepares to head into his third season...

BEREA—One of the players who has caught the eye of Eric Mangini in the OTAs in third-year nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin.
Even though it’s hard to miss a guy 330 pounds, the soft-spoken Rubin has let his play do his talking for him.

With the absence of Shaun Rogers from practices rehabbing his leg and pending legal problems, Rubin is taking advantage of his opportunity.

“I’m working very hard in practice,” Rubin said. “I’m preparing for the coming season to help out in whatever way I can.”
His hard work was rewarded by the coaching staff.

“Rubin was our defensive player of the week last week,” Mangini said. “He’s consistent and he does the right thing. He works hard every day. He knows what to do and is the same player every day.

“You know what you’re going to get out of him.”
Those are some pretty strong words coming from the team’s head coach.

Rubin (6-2, 330) is in his third year from Iowa State and really came on last year when Rogers went down with a broken leg. He played in all 16 games and started the final five in place of Rogers. He finished with 38 tackles and forced a fumble.

“I’m trying to have the mindset to be a stout force in the middle of the defense,” Rubin said. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity and want to be ready to make the most of it when it is presented to me.”

To be a nose tackle in the 3-4, a player has to sometimes be selfless and sometimes his statistics go unnoticed.

“I try to take up two gaps and free up the linebackers to make plays.”

During the five games span he started, Rubin and the Browns held their opponents to under 100 yards rushing in three of the games. In the season finale against Jacksonville, Rubin had five tackles and helped keep Maurice Jones-Drew to just 82 yards rushing.

There has been talk of moving Rogers to end to open up more playing time for Rubin.

“We’ll work Shaun some at end,” Mangini said. “You want to have the flexibility to play the best guys. He has the athleticism to move around.”

One way or another, you can bet the Browns coaching staff will find a way to get Rubin on the field.

Notebook

QB Talk: During Monday’s OTA, QB Jake Delhomme hit WR Brian Robiskie for a 14-yard gain to open up the two-minute offense. On the following play, he was intercepted by rookie T.J. Ward for a touchdown after the ball went off the tight end’s fingers. After the interception, Delhomme hooked up again with Robiskie for 15 yards across the middle… Delhomme finished with completions for touchdowns to TE Evan Moore and WR Chansi Stuckey in goal line.

Delhomme was 6-of-9 with an interception…QB Seneca Wallace started with completions to TE Robert Royal and WR Johnathan Haggerty before a deflected interception to DB Nick Sorenson off the hands of Haggerty… Wallace had a pass batted down by DL Derreck Robinson. He finished 4-of-8 with an interception…QB Brett Ratliff hit rookie WR Cartlton Mitchell with a beautifully thrown loft over DB Larry Asante for a touchdown in his limited opportunity…QB Colt McCoy was just 1-of-3 with an interception to CB Brandon McDonald on a pass intended for Mitchell.

Lap Runners: OL Scott Kooistra ran a lap two different times during the part of practice open to the media. OL Tony Pashos also ran a lap.

Scout.com: Rubin Keeps Stepping Up

[Shep]

So what the hell happens if McCoy can't beat out Ratliff? Right now, he looks to be behind him. Do you think that's a done deal? Ratliff doesn't have any options to go on the practice squad and McCoy wouldn't last there.

[Alo]

I don't think you can glean that from a report that Ratliff threw a nice pass & McCoy was 1/3 with a pick.

As I recall, one of the folks at theOBR reported a few weeks ago that three quarterbacks looked good at the early OTAs and one looked very average (Ratliff).

[Sez.EJ]

reading too much into ota's as usual.. IT it practice.. Maybe assume the D made a Great play and not that the qb sucked.. how about that? Sometimes ..it's just a great play..sometimes.. Just saying..it does not ALWAYS have to be about the QB.

[King of Kings]

Originally Posted by Sez.EJ

reading too much into ota's as usual.. IT it practice.. Maybe assume the D made a Great play and not that the qb sucked.. how about that? Sometimes ..it's just a great play..sometimes.. Just saying..it does not ALWAYS have to be about the QB.

EVERYTHING has to be about the QB...... Even when the topic says it's about Rubin.

[Tobalaz]

Well, glad to hear Rubin is looking good.
Rogers not practicing has really helped him out as seen last season, hopefully he'll be a solid rock for our future defensive line.
So that makes it what, 2 Savage picks left on the team?

[BernietheKid]

Originally Posted by Tobalaz

Well, glad to hear Rubin is looking good.
Rogers not practicing has really helped him out as seen last season, hopefully he'll be a solid rock for our future defensive line.
So that makes it what, 2 Savage picks left on the team?

Wright, Thomas, Jackson, Rubin, Vickers, McDonald, and Harrison I think!

[Tobalaz]

Originally Posted by BernietheKid

Wright, Thomas, Jackson, Rubin, Vickers, McDonald, and Harrison I think!

7 left over? ewwww...
That could just as quickly become 3 if Vickers, Harrison and Jackson don't work out contracts and McDonald get cut if he starts regressing again.

[Enigmatic Evil]

Practice or not, we all should be hoping for our sakes that Rubin contunes to improve and that he can maybe push for Shaun Rogers job. Is he that good? I don't know. But I do feel that Shaun Rogers needs a fire lit under his ass and maybe he'll turn around. I just feel like he's been nothing short of a disappointment. Ruben playing well and opening the eyes of the team around him should motivate Rogers, if at the very least not give us some positive vibes for any kind of D-Line depth that we supposedly lack. I think Rubin will be a full-time starter on this team by the end of 2010.

[YtownBacker]

Originally Posted by Shep

So what the hell happens if McCoy can't beat out Ratliff? Right now, he looks to be behind him. Do you think that's a done deal? Ratliff doesn't have any options to go on the practice squad and McCoy wouldn't last there.

You didn't really say that did you?.....................lol

Behind who? They haven't even had minicamp yet or put on the pads. Nice knee jerk reaction...........................or is it just bait for a pissing match?

[King of Kings]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic Evil

Practice or not, we all should be hoping for our sakes that Rubin contunes to improve and that he can maybe push for Shaun Rogers job. Is he that good? I don't know. But I do feel that Shaun Rogers needs a fire lit under his ass and maybe he'll turn around. I just feel like he's been nothing short of a disappointment. Ruben playing well and opening the eyes of the team around him should motivate Rogers, if at the very least not give us some positive vibes for any kind of D-Line depth that we supposedly lack. I think Rubin will be a full-time starter on this team by the end of 2010.

Of course we should be hoping for continued improvement, he's a Brown. But one thing, i'd say he's already made a HUGE push for Rogers spot. The talk is making him the starting NT and Rogers a DE. Which would be good, if Rubins good enough to be our starting NT good, one less spot we have to worry about. If he isn't, then it's another spot we gotta improve. Let's be real here, Rogers is good and all, but he's already 31 years old and a free agent soon. That's not someone you really build a team or entire line around so my hope would be Rubin is that guy and it appears the coaches hope, too.

[BernietheKid]

Originally Posted by King of Kings

Of course we should be hoping for continued improvement, he's a Brown. But one thing, i'd say he's already made a HUGE push for Rogers spot. The talk is making him the starting NT and Rogers a DE. Which would be good, if Rubins good enough to be our starting NT good, one less spot we have to worry about. If he isn't, then it's another spot we gotta improve. Let's be real here, Rogers is good and all, but he's already 31 years old and a free agent soon. That's not someone you really build a team or entire line around so my hope would be Rubin is that guy and it appears the coaches hope, too.

Exactly KOK it's great that Rodgers is so good but he's coming off of knee surgery and is 31. Where you have Rubin who saw some good PT time last year and is only going to be 24 this year. So if he continues to improve that is one last spot you have to worry about but if he is a backup/spliting time at NT that isn't a bad return on a sixth round pick. I hope he is the answer long term at NT though.