The Chicago Bears are more likely to sign a big-name right tackle than not. Multiple starting caliber options are hitting the free agency market, and it just so happens to be the Bears' biggest need. When you add in that the team has the most cap space, they should be able to lock this starting spot down.
Right now, the three big names that eyes are on would be Jawaan Taylor, Mike McGlinchey, and Kaleb McGary. All of them are former top 35 picks and hitting free agency for the first time. They are young with pedigree and experience.
Comparing Chicago Bears right tackle free agent options
Below you can see how they compare in some key metrics, per PFF.
True Block Rate | Pass Block Efficiency | Pressures | Pass Block Snaps | Run Block Snaps | Zone Blocking % | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jawaan Taylor | 47.4% | 94.7 | 154 | 2770 | 1497 | 51% | 39 |
Mike McGlinchey | 39.1% | 94.4 | 153 | 2715 | 2062 | 57.8% | 32 |
Kaleb McGary | 41.1% | 93.8 | 139 | 2318 | 1560 | 61.8% | 14 |
In Jawaan Taylor, you have the player with the most pass-blocking experience. The true block rate shows snaps in which a true pass set was taken. This takes away screens, RPOs, and plays where linemen do not really engage in blocking.
You can see that McGlinchey has the lowest true pass block rate because San Francisco runs such a different offense with quick passes and screens.
Still, despite a much lower true pass block snap rate McGlinchey has given up nearly as many pressures as Taylor. Taylor has the most allowed, but also the most snaps, which gives him the highest pass-block efficiency grade.
Kaleb McGary is in between. He did grade out the worst in pass block efficiency, but had the last pressures. He had the least snaps, but at least had a higher true pass block rate than McGlinchey.
As run blockers, McGlinchey is the best. He has the most snaps, and to the surprise of some did not have the most zone blocks. Still, this speaks to the San Francisco scheme again. It is more complex than fans realize as they run a variation of schemes. So, McGlinchey will go into any scheme as the best-run blocker.
The holding calls and things of that nature hurt Taylor. Also, Taylor is much comfortable moving backward and is more of a lunger pushing forward in the run game. He does not have the strength and is more up and down with his play.
Again, McGary is in between. He has the most zone-blocking work and is the second-best run blocker of the group. The big way in which McGary is the best is the lack of penalties. Both McGlinchey and Taylor get dinged for a variety of issues, but McGary gets penalized just a few times per season.
So, the prices were about the same, how would you rank these options for the Chicago Bears.