Maybe the Dolphins could have traded Earl Mitchell, too.
Miami stopped short of cutting tackle Branden Albert when it became clear that someone would trade for him. The 49ers, given the zeal with which they pursued Mitchell, possibly would have done the same.
The 49ers have announced the acquisition of Mitchell on a four-year deal.
“As soon as Earl hit the open market, he became a priority for us to sign,” 49ers G.M. John Lynch said in a release. “A man of high character, he represents everything we want to be as a football team. Earl is a tone-setter who plays the game with a tremendous passion and the effort necessary to win in this league. We believe those qualities are contagious and will help to make our team stronger. We look forward to the impact Earl will have on the field, in the locker room, and in our community.”
That’s a far different assessment than the one the Dolphins had of Mitchell. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald noted last night on Twitter, the Dolphins weren’t impressed with Mitchell in 2016 and expected a decline in 2017.
And so the performance of Mitchell in 2017 will help the football-following world decide whether the Dolphins or the 49ers are better at evaluating veteran defensive linemen.
