Good housekeeping requires a good house cleaning every once in a while. That’s exactly what the Miami Dolphins are doing just a few weeks before the start of free agency.
Fresh off reports indicating that the team will release left tackle Branden Albert comes less surprising news. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins are also releasing defensive linemen Mario Williams and Earl Mitchell.
Williams is the big name here. The former No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans simply didn’t fit in well with the Dolphins, recording a grand total of 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his only season in South Beach.
Meanwhile, Mitchell has proven himself to be a capable defensive tackle in three years with Miami. The issue here is that he’s missed 11 games to injury over the past two seasons.
By releasing Albert, Williams and Mitchell, the Dolphins save nearly $20 million against the cap in 2017.
All three should receive play on the free-agent market. Though, it surely looks like Williams’ best days are behind him. He’s probably nothing more than a rotational defensive end at this point in his career.