The New England Patriots' glaring need for a starting offensive tackle won't be filled by Mike McGlinchey.
McGlinchey, one of the best players at his position available in free agency this year, was among the flurry of players who found new homes upon the opening of the NFL's legal tampering period Monday. The ninth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft reportedly is headed to Denver, where he'll sign a five-year, $87.5 million deal with over $50 million guaranteed.
Although McGlinchey could have thrived under Bill Belichick and company, the odds of the 28-year-old landing in New England seemingly were never high purely from a financial standpoint. McGlinchey priced himself out of Foxboro with five largely successful seasons blocking for the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
McGlinchey was the first above-average offensive tackle to find a deal on the open market this week. As of 2 p.m. ET on Monday, the likes of Orlando Brown Jr., Kaleb McGary and Jawaan Taylor still were available in free agency.
Agreeing to sign McGlinchey wasn't the only noteworthy move the Broncos made Monday. Denver reportedly found a new backup for Russell Wilson in Jarrett Stidham, who flashed potential across two games with the Las Vegas Raiders last season.
