Veteran nose tackle Earl Mitchell was one of the first signings from then-new San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch back in early 2017.
Mitchell inked a four-year, $16 million contract a year ago and helped transform what was a terrible Niners run defense in 2016 into the NFL’s seventh best last season, averaging just 3.8 yards against, down a full yard from the previous year.
On paper, the 30-year-old veteran didn’t appear to do too much. He recorded just 19 tackles and a sack over 16 starts. But his presence on base downs was pretty important.