NEWSLETTER
UPDATE: Dang it. McGlinchey is headed to the Broncos. We’ll have details up in a fresh post shortly, in the meantime, the original post follows.
One of the worst-kept secrets in football is the Chicago Bears’ need to upgrade their offensive line. The only secret kept worse is their desire to get it done in free agency. And as of right now, it looks like Mike McGlinchey is at the top of their wish list.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports the Bears have eyes for McGlinchey — and it sounds like the feeling is mutual:
McGlinchey, 28, has been a primary starter for the San Francisco 49ers since debuting as a rookie in 2018. And since the Bears offensive scheme is a derivative of what the Niners run, it makes sense that Chicago wants to quickly cut a deal with McGlinchey. Being a player with quality game experience and familiarity within the system has its perks. Particularly for McGlinchey, who could command a contract that reaches $20 million per year. We’ll keep an eye on what the price tag turns out to be. I’m trying not to fall into the sticker shock trap, but it feels inevitable. It is free agency. And dudes tend to get PAID.
And here’s the kicker: McGlinchey might not be the only O-lineman the Bears are targeting this offseason.
It sounds like Chicago is leveraging Assistant GM Ian Cunningham’s ties to the Eagles during the free agency period. And that could lead them to try and reel in free agent offensive guard Isaac Seumalo, per NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo:
Seumalo, 29, has 81 games (60 starts) of experience under his belt. And while injuries have kept him from reaching the highest of highs, there is a potential baseline level of competent offensive line play. As far as I’m concerned, competence from the line would be better than what we saw for large chunks of last season. Although, I’m curious how a Seumalo pursuit shakes out elsewhere on the line. Does Seumalo bump Cody Whitehair to center? Or does it push him off the roster altogether? Could this mean something for Teven Jenkins? Jenkins might’ve been the Bears’ best lineman last year, but he spent time on the trade block last summer. Just something to keep tabs on.
