5 Dolphins defenders who disappointed in 2015
By Brian Miller
Earl Mitchell
The Dolphins thought enough about Earl Mitchell that they opted to let both Randy Starks and Jared Odrick leave in free agency without attempting to retain either one of them. The addition of Ndamukong Suh to play along side him was expected to make Mitchell the focal playmaker on the defensive line. Instead, Mitchell battled injuries and when healthy played very erratic against the run. He finished the season with 22 total tackles and no sacks.
The Dolphins defense had serious early season issues against the run and a lot of that fell on the shoulders of Mitchell who was unable to handle single blockers while Suh took on two and sometimes three. Early in the season many questioned why he was in the game at all given the play of rookie Jordan Phillips. As it turned out both were highly inconsistent on Sundays.
It would be interesting to see what might have happened with the defensive line if Mitchell was released and Starks was retained. Their salaries were not all that different and Miami had cap space they could have used on Starks in comparison. Mitchell never came close to warranting the $4.5 million he made in 2015.
Next: Kelvin Sheppard