After visiting with the Carolina Panthers earlier this week, the team made it official on Wednesday as they signed safety Mike Mitchell to a one-year contract. Terms have not been released at this time.
Mitchell was a member of the Raiders' infamous 2009 draft class. One where Al Davis elected to take wide receiver Darrius Heyward Bey in the first round, and Mitchell in the second -- neither are still with the team. Over four years he amassed 136 tackles and two interceptions. It was an infamous draft-day selection that left almost everyone scratching their heads. The normally unflappable Mel Kiper Jr. ruffled through his notes, looking to find something on the Ohio safety, who he didn't think would be selected until the late rounds of the draft, if at all.
In Carolina he will compete with the second-year D.J. Campbell and Haruki Nakamura, while it's expected Charles Godfrey will move back to free safety. It's a clear sign the organization are looking to part ways with one of their own draft mistakes in Sherrod Martin -- whose inconsistency has been abundant while in Charlotte.
CAREER STATS | |||||||||||||||
Season | Team | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
G | GS | Comb | Total | Ast | Sck | SFTY | PDef | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TDs | FF | ||
2012 | Oakland Raiders | 16 | 2 | 41 | 32 | 9 | 1.0 | -- | 0 | -- | -- | 0.0 | -- | -- | 0 |
2011 | Oakland Raiders | 13 | 4 | 31 | 22 | 9 | 1.0 | -- | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | Oakland Raiders | 16 | 3 | 51 | 41 | 10 | 0.0 | -- | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2009 | Oakland Raiders | 16 | 0 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 1.5 | -- | 0 | -- | -- | 0.0 | -- | -- | 0 |
TOTAL | 139 | 106 | 33 | 3.5 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | -- | 0 | 0 | 1 |