The Patriots need to add some starting-caliber options at offensive tackle to protect Mac Jones and pave the way for Rhamondre Stevenson this coming season. As much as the position has been a focus of the pre-draft process for Patriots fans, free agency could also offer some options for improvement on both sides of the line.
The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly preparing to lose right tackle Mike McGlinchey to the open market, according to comments by 49ers general manager John Lynch.
“Could he miss his market? Sure,” Lynch said, via Matt Maoicco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Then would we be interested? Of course we would. But I don’t see that happening. I see him being a coveted player."
The 28-year-old McGlinchey, formerly the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, would be perhaps the most sought-after free-agent tackle and could cost around $14 million a year by some estimates. There's also some debate about whether McGlinchey, who played in a very zone-heavy blocking scheme with San Francisco, could fit with the Patriots' more gap-centric style.
But his overall value as a run blocker and serviceable pass protection would upgrade the Patriots' right tackle spot, which was a little more than a traffic cone last year, by leaps and bounds.
New England could look formidable with McGlinchey on the right side and Trent Brown manning the left tackle spot once again. But in case the team isn't sold on Brown, whether just generally or simply as a left tackle, it might now be able to add Tom Brady's former blind-side protector to its ranks.
The Buccaneers reportedly are looking to release left tackle Donovan Smith by the start of the new league year. Though Smith struggled mightily in 2022, Tampa Bay's main reason for doing so is that the team is firmly in cap hell, currently residing $56.5 million over the limit, and must shed salary immediately.
Before last season, he had been one of the more reliable left tackles in football for several years and had just posted his best overall and pass-blocking grades in 2021, allowing just one sack that season per Pro Football Focus.
If Smith proves he's fully healthy after elbow and foot injuries hampered him last season, the Patriots might be able to steal him for a relative discount. He had previously played on a two-year, $31 million deal with the Buccaneers but might accept more of a prove-it deal coming off of a down year.
Adding him could then allow Brown to slide back to right tackle, where he had a strong season in 2021 himself.
The Patriots should, of course, still look for a viable tackle option in the draft to keep the pipeline moving in the future. But perhaps a strong free-agent pickup at either left or right tackle could allow them to focus on other spots on the first two days of the NFL Draft.
