NFL.com Points to One FA Deal Broncos Could Regret
The Denver Broncos made big waves in free agency. Outspending all teams in free agency in terms of guaranteed money on contracts and total money dished out to new acquisitions, the Broncos’ new ownership wasted little time flexing the Walmart wealth of the Walton-Penner group.
However, big contracts do not always equal big success. The Broncos' spending drew some criticism and concern from NFL.com's Kevin Patra. Specifically targeting Denver’s massive signing of former San Francisco 49ers top-10 draft pick Mike McGlinchey, Patra listed it as one of the riskiest signings this season (ironically sandwiched between fellow AFC West signings in Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo and Chiefs’ Jawaan Taylor).
As we often see with positions lacking depth in free agency, the Broncos had to pay big to swipe McGlinchey. The 28-year-old is a solid player who is best as a run blocker, but the Broncos are paying him to be a stud. His $17.5 million per-year average is just $500K less than what Lane Johnson makes in Philadelphia. No offense to McGlinchey, but he's no Lane Johnson. McGlinchey struggles at times as a pass blocker, allowing six sacks and 27 pressures in 2022. Denver backed up the brinks truck and had to overpay to plug a hole along the line. It's a deal that could look onerous in a couple of years.
In the NFL, positional value can be derived from a multitude of avenues. For some positions, such as wide receiver, the impact on the game by the top wideouts drive the cost for the position higher and higher each season, even though there are ample receivers that can contribute from the NFL draft each season.
Offensive tackle is a little different. Instead of impact, a lot of the value of offensive tackle comes from scarcity.
That's not to say great offensive tackles are not impactful, but while there are numerous serviceable and solid receivers every year, there just aren’t that many 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-8, 310-to-350-pound dancing bears with 33-plus-inch arms to choose from. And not all of those with the prototype body have the technique, athleticism, or health to man the position. There are more starting tackle positions than there are quality tackles walking the earth.
Therefore when a player who is perceived as a viable option at a position of scarcity becomes available on the open market, odds are, the contract that player garners will be seen as an overpayment. Will McGlinchey prove to be an overpayment in comparison to another tackle that was signed this offseason, such as Andrew Wylie, who signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Washington Commanders? It's possible.
However, if Broncos’ new head coach Sean Payton identified McGlinchey as one of his primary targets to fortify the offensive line and help solidify a more run-oriented, smash-mouth identity this offseason, then perhaps it won’t be viewed as such a risky signing down the road.
Unfortunately, Broncos Country knows all too well about bust signings at right tackle following the absolute failure of the Ja’Wuan James deal. However, with what seems to be a solid plan in place for the offense helmed by a visionary (Payton), the risk should not be as great.
The Broncos paid a premium for a known quantity in size, strength, work ethic, and run-blocking prowess. It may wind up being viewed as an overpay through the lens of history, but if it guarantees that Denver solidifies the revolving door at right tackle, fans' and the Broncos’ ownership group’s wallets shouldn’t fret too much.
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