One NFL analyst believes the New England Patriots are a good fit for an offensive tackle as free agency is set to begin soon. Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz believes Mike McGlinchey would be the ideal free agent fit for New England.
McGlinchey spent his entire NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers. He was a premium draft pick, selected ninth overall in 2018. He has started in 69 games the past five seasons and has proven to be a key piece of the 49ers’ offensive line. He has played in over 90 snaps in each season of his career, including 94 percent of the offensive snaps in 2022.
Schatz believes McGlinchey could be the answer to New England’s problems at the tackle position. Schatz wrote:
The Patriots need to do a better job of protecting Mac Jones, but they also want strong run blockers because their offense is so run-heavy. Signing McGlinchey to replace the departing Isaiah Wynn should improve the Patriots in both areas. Although McGlinchey’s PBWR is in the bottom half of the league for tackles, he’s still a better pass protector than Wynn. And McGlinchey’s RBWR of 81.2% ranked fifth among all offensive tackles last season.
McGlinchey may have a high price tag, but he would be an upgrade over the likes of Wynn.
He would fill an immediate need for the organization and give the offensive line stability. Stability is something the team did not have last year on the line, between injuries and poor play.
It will be intriguing to see what New England does at the position, with several potential departures and decisions to make at other positions.
