A flip of the coin enabled the 49ers to select offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey in the 2018 NFL Draft.
This offseason, it is going to take a lot more than loose change for the 49ers to keep McGlinchey around on a multi-year contract.
“I love being here,” McGlinchey said this week. “The Bay has become my home.”
So will money not be the ultimate factor in determining McGlinchey’s next move?
“Well, it will certainly have a lot to do with it,” McGlinchey said. “I’m not an idiot.
“The opportunity to have life-changing money for my family, that’s definitely a factor that needs to be weighed in for this decision. It’s not the only factor but, yeah . . . “
On its list of the top unrestricted free agents available this offseason, Pro Football Focus ranks McGlinchey as No. 10 with a projected four-year contract worth $62 million.
All things being equal, McGlinchey said he does not want to leave the 49ers. But he also recognizes that all things are not likely to be equal.
“It’s hard to ever want to leave this place,” he said. “I’ve seen people do it and be kind of heartbroken about it later on. You got to do a lot of thinking and see how the chips fall.”
McGlinchey is coming off a season in which he started all 20 games, including three in the postseason. He ranked 24th in run-blocking among all offensive tackles who appeared in 10 or more games, per PFF. In pass protection, he surrendered six sacks and three quarterback hits.
While the 49ers hold sole negotiating rights with all of their scheduled free agents until the NFL’s open-negotiating period begins on March 13, it seems unlikely the 49ers and McGlinchey will get together on an agreement before he has a chance to reach the NFL's open market.
“I think anything can be a possibility,” he said. “I think they value me here. I think they enjoy having me around and they think I can play football at a very high level.”
The 49ers won a coin flip over the Raiders for the No. 9 overall draft pick and selected McGlinchey, whom the Raiders also targeted in that spot. The then-Oakland Raiders traded down from the No. 10 pick to No. 15 and selected left tackle Kolton Miller.
McGlinchey, who earned $10.88 million this season on the fifth-year option, is one of 23 49ers players scheduled for unrestricted free agency..
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Additionally, defensive end Nick Bosa is expected to land a new contract this offseason that could make him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
McGlinchey knows how the 49ers must make all the pieces fit, financially.
“Everything is on the table,” he said. “There are a lot of damn good football players in our locker room and a lot need to be paid, and we certainly have one who is going to break the entire bank.”