Going into free agency, the buzz around the league said the Chicago Bears were hoping to add a veteran right tackle for their offensive line. That isn’t a surprise. The position was a glaring weakness in 2022 with Larry Borom and Riley Reiff. GM Ryan Poles hopes to solidify it for quarterback Justin Fields. Things haven’t quite gone as planned. Mike McGlinchey, the name most heavily connected to them, signed a massive deal with the Denver Broncos. A few hours later, Jawaan Taylor got a similar one from the Kansas City Chiefs. That leaves one big name left standing: Kaleb McGary.
The former 1st round pick had one of his best seasons with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He was a dominant run blocker for them and improved as a pass protector after years of inconsistency. Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan also has ties to him, having helped draft McGary back in 2019 when he held the same job with Atlanta. He has the size, temperament, and athleticism the Bears look for. It may come down to what his price tag is. Former team scout Greg Gabriel revealed what he is hearing on Windy City Gridiron.
“I have good relationships with some of the Insiders, and on Sunday they told me that in the right tackle market, McGlinchey was going to be $17 to $18M, Kaleb McGary was going to get $15 to $16, and Jawaan Taylor would end up with $18M+. They were right about Taylor and McGlinchey. Taylor and McGlinchey got the money that was put out, but McGary is still waiting.”
Kaleb McGary is likely dealing with multiple suitors.
The Bears are hoping his price may come down based on how long this process is taking. Getting him at $15 million would tie him for the seventh-highest-paid right tackle in the league. That isn’t a terrible price, but gauging his overall value is tricky. McGary turned 28 years old in February. He should have three or four good seasons left in him. One hopes his pass protection improvement was progress rather than an anomaly. No doubt Morgan’s opinion carries a lot of weight in this pursuit as well.
Poles has made it clear he won’t be pressured into a bidding war if he doesn’t feel the talent is worth it. Kaleb McGary is a good player. He is not what you’d call elite. He would be an upgrade over what the Bears had last season. That would be enough, provided the price is right. If it goes too high, expect the Bears to pivot toward the draft, where they should have some intriguing options in the 1st and 2nd rounds. The next 24 hours or so will likely tell the story on this one.
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RB’s in this league are a dime a dozen, glad Bears didn’t spend in RB room. A 3rd pick nets a top RB.
Best of luck to Montgomery! tough dude! He was great at breaking tackles, but lacked breakaway speed. Can easily replace him with 3-5 round RB.
If the price being bid is too steep by 1 to 2 million per year then why are you even in the bidding war. You obviously don’t believe he has the talent so don’t even get involved and move on. He will not be had on the cheap.
Big splash for today for the Bears?
They sign RB Travis Homer. 🙂
Guess they have a new kick returner.
Looks like McGary goes back to Atlanta on a 3 year $34.5M contract. I’m thinking Poles trades back and picks up an OT in the draft and the rookie is a day one starter. He’ll probably spend some money on a FA DE still and maybe another iOL and hope to hit some more DL help in the draft’s second and/or third rounds. Throw in a TE, another OL, and a RB in the draft and probably another corner and that should be that. Maybe a back up QB even. So for the draft: 2 iOL/OT 3 DL/DE 1 RB… Read more »