Miami Dolphins FA pros and cons: Mike McGlinchey

The Miami Dolphins do not sound like a club that will be adding much to the offensive line outside of depth but Mike McGlinchey could be an exception.

McGlinchey is far from perfect and the Dolphins have indicated that they are looking for depth to add to the competition. Chris Grier said recently that he believes the coaching change, moving on from Matt Applebaum, will help and he said that the team was improved at the end of the season along the line.

Most Miami Dolphins fans see the offensive line differently. Austin Jackson was serviceable at left tackle when he was healthy. Many believe that Robert Hunt is a better option at right tackle. The Dolphins may have a great left tackle in Terron Armstead but he misses games and backup was a problem.

Add into this Liam Eichenberg at left guard and you wonder if the Dolphins are indeed trending up or staying stagnant. Eichenberg isn’t going anywhere as he is still on his rookie deal and developing but adding another offensive lineman shouldn’t be dismissed.

Enter Mike McGlinchey.

Pros:

• Familiarity with Mike McDaniel
• Able to play both guard and tackle but has played right tackle for the last four seasons.
• Experienced veteran with good footwork
• Started every game he has appeared in, 69 total.
• Disciplined – 12 holding penalties in five years. 11 False starts. 27 total penalties in 69 games. In 17 games last year McGlinchey had 8 penalties.
• Smart
• Good size and ability to use his frame to gain leverage
• Excels in run blocking

Cons:

• Likely going to be expensive and could be priced out of Miami’s available range
• Can be inconsistent from week to week
• Injury history: 2022 was the only season he played every game. Missed 8 games in 2021.
• Not very athletic
• Struggles with fast pass rushers
• Has to play smart to make up for lack of quickness
• May not be the player you want protecting a QBs blindside

Overall, McGlinchey is a very good football player with a lot of upside but for the Dolphins, he may not be what they need both financially and physically on the outside. If Miami viewed him as an interior lineman and an interior price, McGlinchey would be a perfect fit on the Dolphins offense but Miami isn’t getting him as a guard and they can’t afford him as a tackle.

The Dolphins may look at McGlinchey but it doesn’t make sense to add a guy that needs to be a lot better in pass protection. Especially when you lost your QB in 2022.