Why Mike McGlinchey Will Have a Bounce Back 2021 Season
Mike McGlinchey didn't play up to his standard in 2020. Here's why he should bounce back in 2021.
1. New Offensive Line Coach.
The 49ers previous offensive line coach, John Benton, never developed any of his young players, particularly McGlinchey. Benton was so bad, the 49ers should have fired him, but they didn't have to because Robert Saleh brought him to the Jets this offseason. And the 49ers replaced him with Chris Foerster, who's one of the most successful, experienced offensive line coaches in the NFL. Foerster should help McGlinchey's development.
2. New Right Guard.
In fairness to McGlinchey, he had to play next to subpar right guards the past three seasons. I'm talking Mike Person, Tom Compton and Colton McKivitz. These guys made McGlinchey's job even harder. Next season, he should play next to rookie second-round pick Aaron Banks, who should be a major upgrade over the previous cast of misfits. Which means McGlinchey should have help for a change.
3. New Leader on the Offensive Line.
No one felt the affect's of Joe Staley's retirement last season more than McGlinchey, who seemed to rely on Staley's handholding the previous two seasons. But Staley's replacement, Trent Williams, isn't much a hand holder. So the 49ers needed someone else to replace Staley's leadership, and they got him -- center Alex Mack. He will hold McGlinchey accountable the way Staley did.
4. Full Offseason Training Program.
Last season, the pandemic cancelled the 49ers' spring training program. And a result, McGlinchey reported to training camp underweight. Perhaps he didn't work out hard enough on his own last spring. Maybe he was worried that if he got injured training away from the facility, the 49ers would void his contract. They could do that.
Those issues shouldn't exist this season, because the 49ers will have OTAs. And if McGlinchey shows up, he'll put himself in position to play well in 2021.
