Don’t hold your breath waiting on the 49ers to re-sign Mike McGlinchey.
The former ninth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has not exactly been a fan favorite, but he has been a steady part of the 49ers’ offensive line, and graded out consistently as an above average right tackle.
McGlinchey has always been impressive in the run game. While he’s improved as a pass blocker, his failures are generally high profile, with him falling over in a way that asks for criticism. It’s a rough look with Trent Williams on the other side.
NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco joined Murph & Mac on Thursday, saying he doesn’t think the 49ers will be able to re-sign McGlinchey because of a likely high price tag.
“I think he’s gonna be a tough one to re-sign,” Maiocco said. “I think people are going to be shocked… I’ve been saying this for a while and people came down on me. He’s going to get a huge contract.
“My anticipation is that, of this free agent class of the 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo will get the most money average per year and then No. 2 will be Mike McGlinchey. We’re talking $14, 15, 16 million a year.
“Is that worth it to the 49ers when you have so many other high-priced guys? I don’t think so.”
Maiocco is well aware of the criticism McGlinchey has received over his career, with frequent accusations levied at him of being a “bust.”
Part of that, he thinks, is having Trent Williams be just about perfect on the other side, along with the No. 9 draft slot McGlinchey was selected with.
Still, he’s performed well for the most part, and he thinks the 49ers will have to part ways with him to prioritize other positions.
The fact that multiple teams have coaches who run Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme or something similar will make McGlinchey particularly enticing and price him well out of San Francisco’s range. Via Maiocco:
I think he will be too rich for the 49ers’ blood considering everything else they have to deal with and other spots they have to fill and rising salaries. I mentioned Nick Bosa’s contract earlier. Brandon Aiyuk is eligible for a new contract.
They pretty much have drafted two offensive linemen every year for a while and I think it’s time to see who takes it. Is it Colton McKivitz? Is it Jaylon Moore? I’m sure they’ll add another offensive lineman or two in this upcoming draft. They do have 10 picks.
You have to make difficult decisions. You have to cut costs strategically and I think that that would be a spot where McGlinchey is going to get the kind of deal where the 49ers probably are less inclined to serve up to him at this point.
The 49ers, in all likelihood, will have a new right tackle this upcoming season. While they can restructure money and create extra cap space, it seems like their priorities will be elsewhere.
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