Offensive linemen know and understand the drill. Being all-world on nine attempts means nothing if you whiff on your 10th, only to watch the defender skirt past as he decleats the quarterback. Few people know this better than Mike McGlinchey, who has drawn the ire of San Francisco 49ers fans for five years now.
Now, he’s a free agent, and fans are about to learn just how much the NFL will covet the former first-round pick from Notre Dame.
Mike McGlinchey Free Agency Predictions
It’s not breaking news to acknowledge that there are more than a few teams who could use McGlinchey’s services. Offensive line play is having difficulty keeping pace with the 270-pound aliens lining up across from them on the edge. So when a player like McGlinchey hits the market, he’ll have call-forwarding to his agent’s phone so that he can breathe for a moment during the process.
Chicago Bears Need All the Offensive Line Help
Braxton Jones played above his pay grade as a rookie, and if he can play at the same level or see progress in 2023, the Bears can be happy with what they have at left tackle.
Right tackle is a whole different ball game. The prospect of Alex Leatherwood lining up to protect a QB in an offense that relies on three-second intermediate progressions is beyond terrifying.
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McGlinchey is a fantastic fit in Chicago. They’re already a run-heavy team, and there aren’t too many better run blockers at right tackle than McGlinchey.
And while we’ve seen the blow-up games from the right tackle, they’ve come primarily against power. Because he has a specific issue, the team should have an easier time helping him when put in those situations.
Baltimore Ravens Could Use Stability at OT
Since entering the league in 2018, McGlinchey has missed games in only two of his five seasons. In 2019, he missed four games with a knee injury, and in 2021, he tore his quadriceps, which required surgery and ended his season. In the grand scheme of things, he’s remained relatively healthy.
One cannot say the same thing about the Baltimore Ravens. As an organization, they’ve been snake bitten by injuries. Trading Orlando Brown to Kansas City a few years back has bit them in the rear end because Ronnie Staley has not stayed on the field since 2019.
McGlinchey hasn’t played left tackle since his days at Notre Dame, but there is no reason he couldn’t slide back over there if the Ravens get into yet another pinch regarding their personnel on the offensive line.
La’el Collins Not Working Out for Cincinnati Bengals
If the Cincinnati Bengals cut La’el Collins before June 1, he’ll cost them $3.3 million in dead money, but they’ll save over $6 million against their cap. Collins struggled early as a Bengal, and his season ended in late December when he tore his ACL and MCL.
The Bengals need an answer at right tackle, and McGlinchey could be that answer. Like Collins, he would be a positive in a Bengals run game that’s begging for more efficiency. And like Collins, McGlinchey would occasionally be a liability in pass protection. But Bengals fans know how ugly it could be if they throw a below-replacement-level player out there.
Jonah Williams is also entering his fifth-year option, which could mean even more questions on the offensive line heading into 2024. Having a solid, consistent option at right tackle would be a prudent move by Mike Brown.
Mike McGlinchey Market Value
According to Spotrac, McGlinchey’s market value sits at $14.8 million APY. Considering Brian O’Neill, Taylor Moton, and Braden Smith are all making more than $17 million on average, it’s hard to imagine McGlinchey makes over $2 million less.
We can’t look at things in a vacuum because it does not exist. They may or may not be better players, but that doesn’t matter a whole lot unless they’re a whole lot better, which they are not.
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The salary cap is about to explode. The new television rights deal is in its infancy, and we already saw an astronomical jump of $16 million from 2022 to 2023.
It’s not a great free agency class of offensive linemen, which will only increase his value.