Kansas City Chiefs: Three Moves That Need To Happen
Sep 14, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Mike McGlynn (75) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
1. The Chiefs Need To Bench Mike McGlynn
Mike McGlynn is not a good offensive lineman. He may be a nice guy. He may be a hard worker. He may be the best teammate in the history of the NFL. He’s just not a good starting offensive lineman. I don’t need any stats to back that up. I can see it with my own two eyes and I truly believe that anyone that takes the time to specifically watch him on a consistent basis would come to the same conclusion. However, in case you haven’t watched him play and need more than my “eye test” opinion, I’ll give you a little supporting evidence.
I don’t care if you are a diehard believer in the good people at Pro Football Focus or a bit of a skeptic, I think we can all agree that their player grades at least give you a rough idea of how well a player is playing. If you watch a player consistently you may feel that they might be performing a little better or a little worse than how PFF has them graded out, but I’ve never watched a player and had a DRASTICALLY different opinion of them compared to their PFF grade. With that in mind, I present you with this:
Mike McGlynn is tied for the lowest PFF grade of all the offensive guards in the NFL. He is rated 76th out of 76 qualifying guards. His -25.2 overall grade is not only the worst grade for guards, but it puts him tied for the third worst grade of all the qualifying offensive linemen regardless of position. I wish it stopped there, but ON NO there is more. McGlynn’s run blocking grade on the season is a -16.5. That is the lowest run blocking grade of any player in the NFL.
Think about that, the Kansas City Chiefs are a run first team that is starting the worst run blocker in the NFL. It’s absurd. When Andy Reid arrived in KC he continually preached that the five best offensive linemen would play, regardless of position. Mike McGlynn is not one of the Chiefs’ five best offensive linemen, no way, no how.
The Chiefs have two different options for filling his spot. The first is former starting right tackle Donald Stephenson. Stephenson lost his starting spot to veteran Ryan Harris because of a banned substance suspension and has never gotten it back. Many believe that KC should be starting Stephenson at RT, but at least Harris is playing average football (he actually has a better grade than Stephenson had last season). However, if making a list of KC’s five best offensive linemen I think almost everyone would include Stephenson on it, so why not give him a shot at guard? It’s not like you can do any worse than being the worst guard and the worst run blocking offensive lineman in the NFL.
If not Stephenson, then Eric Kush is another intriguing option. Kush is a center, but the second year player came into training camp noticeably bulkier and it translated to the field in preseason where he was one of PFF’s top rated centers, in part thanks to the fourth highest run grade at the position. Not only is it possible that Kush could be a noticeable upgrade over McGlynn, but if he proves he can be a solid guard it would make re-signing Rodney Hudson this offseason that much more of a no brainer since he and Kush could play side by side.
The Chiefs literally have nothing to lose by making either of these moves, but the bottom line is that McGlynn is hurting the Chiefs and needs to be replaced.
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