Former Broncos Tackle Sounds Off on Denver’s New $87 Million Starter

Getty Former San Francisco 49ers RT Mike McGlinchey speaking to the media during Super Bowl week.

While the Denver Broncos continue to make moves to improve their roster, they went out and agreed to terms with former San Francisco 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey.

The Broncos are going to give McGlinchey a five-year deal worth $87.5 million with over $50 million in guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Former Broncos right tackle Orlando Franklin had something to say about McGlinchey signing with the Broncos while on 104.3 The Fan in Denver.

“McGlinchey was one of the better right tackles out there on the market. Kyle (Shanahan) and that staff did a heck of a job of understanding his flaws, his short comings, and put him in situations to succeed.”

Franklin also added that it might be hard for McGlinchey to switch offensive line coaches.

“He goes from one of the best offensive line coaches in Chris Foerster now to Zach Strief that’s a young buck. McGlinchey continued, “I think there will be some static in that relationship.”

After his playing days, Franklin was part of the 49ers coaching staff in 2021 and coached McGlinchey and talked about how the former first-round pick could become a liability.

“Tends to play too high at times and when you play high, it doesn’t matter how much you bench press, it doesn’t matter how much you back squat, you will get taken advantage of. Because of his big body frame, he will get up there and play a little bit higher and people will get up underneath him and expose him a little bit. Franklin added, “When you  look at that, you can always be a liability in pass blocking because of that.”

Does Mike McGlinchey Fit Sean Payton’s System?

Broncos head coach Sean Payton has become one of the smartest offensive minds in the NFL and runs an elite spread offense.

Franklin was also asked by his former teammate Brandon Stokley, on if the former Notre Dame standout will fit into Payton’s system.

“I think they’re going to run what we ran here with Peyton (Manning) before Gary Kubiak got here. A lot more power, a lot more move guys vertical off the line of scrimmage and you’ll sprinkle in your mid-zone to your wide-zone stuff. That being said, I think Mike McGlinchey struggles. The good thing about him, he’s a young player, like I said everything is there he’s just yet to put it together every single day.”

Broncos Have Struggled Finding a Right Tackle Since Orlando Franklin

After the Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2014 Super Bowl, Denver decided to make a change at the right tackle position. Franklin would be moved over to left guard and was replaced by Chris Clark.

Since Franklin, who was named as the Broncos’ All-Decade Team of the 2010’s, the Broncos have started 19 different players at right tackle. Only seven of them started in at least 10 games with Elijah Wilkinson leading the way at 19 starts.

The Broncos have tried to draft and develop offensive linemen to solve that position, but have failed. Denver has signed veteran free agents that could hold down the position for the year, but that never worked out either.

Even in 2019, the Broncos went out and made former Miami Dolphins right tackle Ja’Wuan James the highest paid right tackle of all-time by giving him a four-year deal worth $51 million.

James would end up playing in only three games for the Broncos before being released in May of 2021.

With the big contract of McGlinchey, Denver hopes that under a new regime, they can finally say they’ve fixed their issue at right tackle.