The Denver Broncos’ 2022 season did not go nearly as planned, but with a few savvy free agent moves, they can become a competitive team in 2022. The team’s first order of business is to get the head coach right after they fired Nathaniel Hackett before the end of his first season, which has only happened a handful of times in the history of the NFL since the merger.
The Broncos seem to be firmly in the sweepstakes for either Jim Harbaugh or Sean Payton, which would be a good first step for them to get back to the usual winning ways they display.
The second part of the equation is the free agency period, which begins in a couple of months. Some teams will fill their roster holes and various needs in free agency. Some teams who miss on draft picks will look to free agency to cover their mistake up.
Now, free agency is a massive spending contest, and whoever spends the most seems to “win” that period. However, spending a ton of money in free agency does not equate to success on the field.
Free agents for the Denver Broncos that could alter draft plans
Mike McGlinchey, RT
Mike McGlinchey was the 9th overall pick back in the 2018 NFL Draft and has been the 49ers’ starting right tackle since then. He’s not elite, but he’s good at what he does and would bring some much needed stability at this position, which has remained inconsistent for years.
He has missed 13 games in his career, which is a tiny bit troubling, but he’s played in 17 games this season and may be able to test the market since the 49ers don’t have a ton of cap space on their hands.
I’d think that they’d want McGlinchey back since their offensive line is so crucial to what they do, but this will be his big payday, and if the Broncos can pony up what he’d want, then they should pursue him.
McGlinchey is 6’8″, so he’s got the length, and if Garett Bolles were to return, a tackle duo of Bolles + McGlinchey would be quite nice. Perhaps instead of using one of their picks on a right tackle that may or may not develop, why not sign McGlinchey who has proven to be an effective solution at the position?