Tag: Mike McGlinchey

49ers officially pick up RT Mike McGlinchey’s 5th-year option

Mike McGlinchey’s rookie contract as a first-round pick came with a fifth-year option that San Francisco picked up.

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday announced they’ve officially exercised right tackle Mike McGlinchey’s fifth-year option for the 2022 season. The deadline to do so is Monday, May 3.

First-round draft picks are given a fifth-year option on top of the typical four-year contract given to draftees. McGlinchey, the 2018 No. 9 overall pick out of Notre Dame, didn’t make any Pro Bowls during his first three seasons so his fully guaranteed fifth-year option will cost San Francisco $10.88 million in 2022, unless he signs an extension before then.

McGlinchey came out strong in his rookie season, battled some injuries in Year 2, then last year had an up-and-down campaign where he continued to excel as a run blocker, but struggled at times in pass protection. While an extension isn’t out of the question, it’ll probably require a better year from the Notre Dame alum to earn a long-term deal to stay in San Francisco.

49ers to pick up fifth-year option on McGlinchey

Mike McGlinchey won’t be playing anywhere else anytime soon…

Notre Dame product and San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey will remain in the Bay Area for at least another year as 49ers general manager John Lynch has stated his fifth-year option on his rookie contract will be picked up.

McGlinchey was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, going three picks behind Notre Dame teammate Quenton Nelson who went sixth to the Indianapolis Colts.

A year after winning the NFC and nearly the Super Bowl the 49ers struggled to just a 6-10 record in 2020.

The Niners have been one of the biggest stories leading up to the draft as they traded up for the third overall pick a few weeks back and leave many to wonder which quarterback they’ll select.

Does a certain stat validate Notre Dame’s status as O-Line U?

A stat brought to light by Pro Football Focus shows why Notre Dame should be at the top of the O-Line U rankings.

Plenty of schools argue back and forth which team has sent the best talent from their universities off to the NFL. There was an interesting stat that Pro Football Focus brought to light recently that should give Notre Dame fans plenty of ammo to fight off those other schools as to who produces the best offensive line talent into the NFL.

The number of snaps played is a great indicator of talent, especially along the O-Line where there aren’t many stats to back-up performance. Multiple former Notre Dame linemen stars including Quenton Nelson, Sam Mustipher, Mike McGlinchey and Zach Martin are huge forces for their NFL teams.

Not only that, we should see each of the four NFL Draft eligible (Liam Eichenberg, Robert Hainsey, Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks) ultimately hear their names being called in late April.

Jarrett Patterson will also hear his name getting called when he leaves South Bend and surely some of the younger players like Tosh Baker, Blake Fisher, Rocco Spindler and Zeke Correll should make it to the next level as well.

It’s safe to say that for the time being, Notre Dame holds the mantle of O-Line U.

ESPN updates Position U’s, Find out where Notre Dame landed

The Irish place very well inside the updated rankings, but not quite where you would expect them to.

Now that NFL training camps have started back up, we are all getting a look at some teams roster constructions. With that, ESPN has updated their Position U rankings after gathering data from their Sports and Information group along with numbers from Pro Football Reference.

The Irish have placed in their rankings, although not in the top spot for any positions. Notre Dame placed 9th in Wide Receivers, 5th in Tight Ends and 7th in Offensive Line groups. It might seem like the analysts at ESPN got some of the rankings wrong, especially at tight end, but they do give some sound reasoning.

They did not mention much at ball regarding the production of former Irish wide receivers, but the group is very solid. Golden Tate, Will Fuller, Equanimeous St. Brown, Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool make up a fantastic collection of Notre Dame alumni receivers. Claypool has been shown very well so far and that ranking could be on the rise from 9th.

This next group, the tight ends, seems a bit low given the production from the group has been top-notch. The top spot went to Miami, the U, who boasts an quite a lot of quality players, as they have had 10 drafted in the last 20 years, with half of them going in the first round. They note that the Irish have “Cole Kmet was the first tight end taken in this years draft, and the Irish have had a tight end selected for three straight years.” Alize Mack and Durham Smythe were those two other players. As we know the position is stacked right now with tons of talent, but it’s hard to argue with Miami production the last 20 years. All time is a different conversation, however.

The offensive line helped the Irish get to 7th, but that ranking also could be on the move upwards as ESPN ranked them as who’s next. “There’s a strong case to be made that Notre Dame has produced the NFL best current tackle (Ronnie Stanley) and guard (Quenton Nelson) over the past five drafts. Add in Pro-Bowler Zach Martin, and NFL starters Nick Martin and Mike McGlinchey, and what the Irish might lack in quantity, they more than make up for in quality.”

The Irish didn’t make the defensive line group’s rankings but the did make their who’s missing. ESPN noted that “the Irish failed to produce a true impact player at the next level.” This is an area where an improvement is drastically needed.

As a whole collective group, the Irish did great inside the updated Positional U rankings. The upside is there for movement in the future and could very well be happening.

Notre Dame OT Eichenberg is A Top 2021 NFL Draft Prospect

Irish offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg should be hearing his named called early in next years NFL Draft.

Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg could have left early to the NFL this past season but opted to return for his final season with the Irish. If he had decided to leave, most likely would have been either a first-round pick or at worst a second rounder.

By staying for his redshirt senior year, Eichenberg will add on to the 26 starts under his belt this upcoming season. Viewed as the leader of the offensive line, the left tackle will lead a group that returns everyone and should be viewed as one of the best groups in the nation.

Looking ahead to the 2021 draft, Eichenberg will not a have a decision to make at the end of the year, but NFL teams will. College Football News named Eichenberg as the 15th ranked best player regardless of position who will be selected next year. The third offensive lineman on the list behind Oregon’s Penei Sewell and Standfords Walker Little, the Irish star should hear his name called early.

Pete Fuitak, the publisher of CFN, does see some issue’s NFL teams might see in Eichenberg as “he’s not as massive as some might like, and he’ll likely be just behind the prototype-looking tackles at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft.” Regardless of any nitpicking NFL teams may do regarding the tackle, Eichenberg is still in line to join the likes of Mike McGlinchey and Ronnie  as Notre Dame tackles selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

PFF Names One Notre Dame Player to All-Time NFL Prospect List

Quick – who is the best Notre Dame football player since 2014?  

There are some great ones that come to mind.  

Jaylon Smith, Will Fuller, Ronnie Stanley, Mike McGlinchey.

There are others but all were outstanding Notre Dame players who turned into first-round draft picks (besides Smith but that was only because of injury).

Quick – who is the best Notre Dame football player since 2014?

There are some great ones that come to mind.

Jaylon Smith, Will Fuller, Ronnie Stanley, Mike McGlinchey.

There are others but all were outstanding Notre Dame players who turned into first-round draft picks (besides Smith but that was only because of injury).  All were great in their own right but none of them made Pro Football Focus’s list of their 32 best NFL prospects since they began operations in 2014.

That instead went to Quenton Nelson, who they ranked as their 18th best prospect ever evaluated.

18. G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame (2018)

Unsurprisingly, Quenton Nelson is the best guard we have ever evaluated, and his 2017 season remains as one of the five most valuable seasons among all offensive linemen in the PFF College era. That year, Nelson posted a 92.2 overall grade and elite grades in both pass-protection and in run-blocking. He went 86 pass-block snaps per pressure allowed that season, too. Nelson didn’t produce a grade lower than 85.0 in his other two seasons as a starter, as well. He mauled people consistently at Notre Dame and he currently is doing the same in Indianapolis.

Nelson was a guard but you can’t tell me there was a player better at their position in college football in all of 2017.  Surprising to literally nobody who watched his career, he was taken not only the highest a guard has ever been selected but has thrived with the Indianapolis Colts.

49ers confidence in Jimmy Garoppolo not waning

Jimmy Garoppolo has come through too many times for the 49ers to lose confidence in him now.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s 27 passes in two playoff games have raised doubts about the 49ers’ offense in the build up to Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2 in Miami. San Francisco started running the ball 76 percent of the time just in time for the 49ers to be on the national stage in their two playoff games. The result has been a lot of opining and speculation about whether Garoppolo’s right arm can win a Super Bowl for the 49ers.

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey doesn’t share those concerns about the quarterback. The second-year offensive lineman on Wednesday joined Damon, Ratto and Kolsky on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and detailed why he and the 49ers offense have faith in Garoppolo.

“One, he’s the best guy ever and he’s unbelievable,” McGlinchey said. “He prepares unbelievably. He’s cool, calm and collected in those big moments. And two, and most importantly, is his track record. Like, four or five different times this year he’s come through in the clutchest of ways. I don’t know what games people have been watching. I mean, obviously the last two are the most nationally recognized games because of the playoffs, but, I mean, if you go back over our 16-game regular season, Jimmy Garoppolo shows up all over that tape. And he’s won us huge, playoff-like games in New Orleans and Seattle, beaten Arizona with his arm twice because of the way the game worked out … and multiple other times throughout the year as well.

“We have the utmost confidence in Jimmy. I don’t know why everybody keeps bashing on him or not believing in him because he’s done it time and time again. But that doesn’t matter. We’re gonna take what we have, and what we know we have is a great quarterback in Jimmy, down there to Miami and hopefully get our jobs done.”

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Garoppolo tied for the league lead in fourth-quarter comebacks with four, and he was tied for second with four game-winning drives.

When it’s come down to it this season, the 49ers haven’t hesitated to lean on their franchise quarterback. A two-game sample in the playoffs is not an indicator of lost faith, especially when considering his performances in the games McGlinchey mentioned. Or his game-winning touchdown strike to Dante Pettis in Week 3. Or his game-winning drive in a must-win game against the Rams at home in Week 16. He converted two third-and-16s on that series.

While Garoppolo’s first two playoff games left something to be desired from a production standpoint, it’s clear the team hasn’t lost faith in its quarterback. McGlinchey’s recall of Garoppolo’s heroics throughout the season are an indicator of the larger picture the 49ers are pulling from. They’re not caught in the moment of the postseason, and if the Super Bowl comes down to a big play from Garoppolo, they have plenty of moments from this season as evidence that he’ll come through.

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49ers Super Bowl Berth Earns Pair of Notre Dame Products Trip to Big Game

Sheldon Day and Mike McGlinchey will be wearing the red, gold and white of the 49ers when they meet the Kansas City Chiefs on February 2 in Miami.

When the San Francisco 49ers finished their domination of the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, a pair of Notre Dame alumni earned their first trips to the Super Bowl.

Sheldon Day and Mike McGlinchey will be wearing the red, gold and white of the 49ers when they meet the Kansas City Chiefs on February 2 in Miami.

Day is in his fourth NFL season after spending a year and a half in Jacksonville before being waived in 2017 and picked up by the 49ers.

Day played in all 16 regular season games for San Francisco this season, making 15 tackles and recording one sack this year.

Day played on Notre Dame’s defensive line from 2012-15 and was a valuable rotational piece in the the 2012 year that finished with a 12-0 regular season. He had 32 tackles for loss in four seasons at Notre Dame.

Joining Day in Miami will be Mike McGlinchey who reaches the Super Bowl in just his second NFL season.

McGlinchey was a key part of why Notre Dame won the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s best offensive line in 2017 as he and Quenton Nelson of the Colts were both drafted in the first round the following spring.

McGlinchey was key in the 49ers dominating run game as the right tackle was part of the reason they ran for 285 yards and attempted just eight passes all day.

The 49ers will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV as the Chiefs have no active former Notre Dame players on their roster but do feature former Irish tight end Alize Mack on their practice squad and former Notre Dame offensive lineman Andy Heck who has coached Kansas City’s offensive line since 2013.

Notre Dame’s NFL Conference Championship Representation

The hometown and 7.5 point favorite San Francisco 49ers employ a pair of former Notre Dame stars in former top ten pick, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and former Irish defensive tackle, Sheldon Day.

To me there isn’t a better day of professional football all year than what today brings.  AFC and NFC Championship Games, an all day affair of football between four usually very good teams.

If you’re like me and most of America, your favorite NFL squad was eliminated from Super Bowl contention long ago and you don’t have a dog in either of the fights this Sunday.

If you’re a Notre Dame fan looking for a team to get behind then the AFC game that kicks off just after 3:00 pm E.T. will be tough sledding as neither the Tennessee Titans or Kansas City Chiefs have any former Notre Dame players on their rosters.

Look into the NFC game however and you may get a little bit conflicted.

The hometown and 7.5 point favorite San Francisco 49ers employ a pair of former Notre Dame stars in former top ten pick, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and former Irish defensive tackle, Sheldon Day.

McGlinchey battled through a knee issue earlier this season that ultimately led to him getting a scope, missing four games but ultimately helping the 49ers to the third most rushing yards in the league this regular season.

Day played in all 16 games this regular season for the 49ers, recording 15 total tackles and one sack along the way.

When the 49ers kickoff against the Green Bay Packers at 6:40 pm E.T. today the Packers will have a former Fighting Irish star as Dexter Williams will be wearing the iconic Packers colors.

Don’t expect to see much of the former Notre Dame speedster however as Williams had just five rush attempts all regular season.

Enjoy the games and your Sunday.

49ers run game takes center stage vs. Saints

The 49ers run game needs to be at its best Sunday in New Orleans.

The 49ers offense has its work cut out for it Sunday in New Orleans. The Saints, once a dominant offensive juggernaut, now has a terrific defense to compliment an offense that may have taken a step back.

New Orleans’ defensive talent is good enough to match an equally talented 49ers offense. The room for error Sunday on offense is minimal against a Saints defense that’ll take full advantage of miscues.

San Francisco’s offense is at its best when it’s running the ball effectively. Here are the six players the 49ers need playing well to maximize their offensive production:

RB Matt Breida

(Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)

The 49ers have sorely missed Breida’s explosiveness while he’s been out with an ankle injury. He’s missed the last three games, and until Raheem Mostert broke out last week, the rushing attack has suffered greatly from a lack of big-play ability on the ground. Breida has game-changing speed that can turn a short gain into a long touchdown with one missed tackle. He leads the team with 542 rushing yards, and he’s going at 5.0 yards per carry in his third season. Breida may only get 10 or 12 carries, but the 49ers should benefit a lot from having him back.

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