The San Francisco 49ers announced on Saturday that they have agreed to terms with DT Earl Mitchell on a four-year contract.
"As soon as Earl hit the open market, he became a priority for us to sign," said 49ers General Manager John Lynch. "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."Mitchell (6-3, 310) was originally drafted in the third round (81st overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He spent four seasons (2010-13) with the Texans before signing with the Miami Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent on March 12, 2014.
During his seven-year career, Mitchell has appeared in 100 games (38 starts) and registered 263 tackles, 5.5 sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble. He has also played in five career postseason games where he registered 13 tackles and 1.0 sack. With the Texans in 2013, Mitchell posted career highs in games started (14), total tackles (48) and solo tackles (30), while current 49ers defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina was serving as the assistant defensive line coach in Houston.
A 29-year-old native of Galena Park, TX, Mitchell attended the University of Arizona, where he appeared in 49 games (37 starts) and registered 88 tackles, 8.0 sacks and one forced fumble. Mitchell began his Wildcat's career as a tight end, before converting to defensive tackle.
