When it comes to the Denver Broncos and NFL free agency, it’s all about the offensive line.
George Paton and Sean Payton have to get that aspect of the team better. Not just for Russell Wilson, but the whole offense.
One the players the Broncos should target is tackle Mike McGlinchey.
Highlighting McGlinchey’s career to date
The 6-foot-8, 310-pound tackle was selected No. 9 out of Notre Dame by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Since then, McGlinchey has become an elite run blocker in the NFL. The area of concern in his game is in pass protection. McGlinchey has had some rough moments and struggles at times. But as this ESPN story points out, he’s steadily improved in that area.
The other big factor in why McGlinchey will be a target by just about every team in the NFL is he stays on the field. Durable, talented tackles are hard to find.
As 49ers general manager John Lynch said recently: “He’s a really good football player. There’s a couple elite (right tackles), the Lane Johnsons of the world, he’s right behind them. And so when you got (left tackle) Trent (Williams) and the way our team’s comprised the reality, that’s just a tough, tough deal for us. And so it stinks. Could he miss his market? Sure. And then would we be interested? Of course we would. But I don’t see that happening.”
Why he makes sense for the Broncos
Durable, talented tackles are hard to find.
For Denver, it’s been near impossible. Just ask John Elway, who tried repeatedly to fill the right tackle position and failed miserably.
This is the chance for Paton, Payton and Walmart to finally get this right. To get one of the best right tackles in the game and shore up a position of need seemingly since Tony Jones.
McGlinchey would make the Broncos offensive line better, he would make the offense better, he would help make Wilson better and make the team better.
The issue is the market because there will be a massive one for McGlinchey.
Examining McGlinchey’s free agent market
When it comes to that free agency market, I don’t see how just about every team doesn’t check in on McGlinchey.
He also knows he’s in for a huge payday. As he said in that ESPN story referenced earlier:
“That certainly will have a lot to do with it. I am not an idiot and understand what my value is and I think they do too. And I hope the rest of the league will when the time comes ... It’s a pretty cool deal. We’ll see how it goes.”
According to Spotrac, McGlinchey falls in the four-year, $59.4 million range. That would put him at $14.8 million per year. In other words, worth the price.
So if the Broncos want to finally get their franchise right tackle, they’ll have to pony up. The good news is they have Walmart money and can replicate the Los Angeles Rams in overcoming the salary cap. Or even the New Orleans Saints in their signing of Derek Carr.
The biggest area of need for Denver is the offensive line and McGlinchey would help solve that issue.
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