The San Francisco 49ers made several roster moves on Thursday, including officially announcing that the team will not pick up wide receiver Pierre Garçon's contract option.
One player not mentioned within the roster moves is defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, who is not expected to be with the 49ers in 2019. San Francisco is looking to trade the 31-year-old veteran rather than release him immediately, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
The #49ers have other moves/decisions to make soon. LB Malcolm Smith's status is TBD and the team is trying to see if they can trade DT Earl Mitchell, source says. https://t.co/XpwXFxJOpj
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 7, 2019
The Houston Texans made Mitchell a third-round selection out of Arizona in 2010. He registered 28 combined tackles through 14 games and 12 starts with the 49ers in 2018. Mitchell has recorded 268 combined tackles, 6.5 sacks, nine passes defensed, and a forced fumble through his nine NFL seasons. He also spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins during his professional career.
Mitchell signed a four-year deal with the 49ers in February of 2017. He started each game in 2017 and the first 12 of 2018 before the coaching staff decided to sit the veteran in favor of second-year defensive tackle D.J. Jones.
"Earl's been a fantastic asset to this entire organization with all the things he's done," defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said via NBC Sports Bay Area in January. "It's an opportunity for other guys to try to step up. It will not be easy to try to replace him, for sure."
Also mentioned by Garafolo is linebacker Malcolm Smith, who has been troubled by injuries during his time with the 49ers. He dealt with an Achilles injury for much of 2018 and spent the entire 2017 season on injured reserve after suffering a torn pectoral muscle during a training camp practice.
"When it came to Malcolm, I think you guys are aware of what Malcolm has been battling all year," Shanahan said in December. "That's why he has been coming out a lot during games, regardless of who is in just because it's tough for him to play for four quarters."