Seattle Seahawks Release Former Florida State Defensive Tackle

The former Seminole has been cut by Seattle less than a month after agreeing to a deal with the franchise.

Only one former Florida State star was selected during the course of the 2023 NFL Draft and that didn't happen until the fifth round when Jammie Robinson went off the board to the Carolina Panthers. Following the draft, three former Seminoles signed undrafted free-agent deals while a couple of others earned tryouts around the league.

READ MORE: Florida State Adding Defensive Coach To Staff With NFL, P5 Experience

With Rookie Mini-Camps wrapping up over the past week, at least one player is already looking for a new opportunity.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Seattle Seahawks announced that they were releasing former FSU defensive tackle Robert Cooper in order to sign veteran cornerback Artie Burns. This is disappointing news after Cooper agreed to an undrafted free-agent deal with the franchise less than a month ago.

There was some optimism that he would be able to stick with Seattle after the parties grew familiar with one another during the predraft process. Cooper took a top-30 visit to the Seahawks which allowed him to go through a physical as well as interviews and meetings with the franchise.

It's possible that Seattle brings Cooper back once he's fully healthy. He's still in the process of recovering from a shoulder surgery that held him out of Florida State's Pro Day.

Cooper spent five years at Florida State where he was guided by former head coach Willie Taggart as well as Mike Norvell. His most productive season came in 2019 but he played an instrumental role in developing the team's younger defensive linemen throughout his college career. 

The 6-foot-2, 335-pound concluded his time with the Seminoles by being named a back-to-back All-ACC honorable mention. He was also honored with FSU's Bobby Bowden Leadership Award following the 2022 season. Cooper totaled 123 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in 57 games, with 41 starts.

He had five games of 5+ tackles during his five years at Florida State, including a career-high eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack in a victory against Syracuse in 2019.

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