Potential Atlanta Falcons Free Agents: Tackle Marcus McNeil

by Dave Choate on Feb 12, 2012 1:13 PM EST in Falcons Talk

I wanted to see if there was any fire to go with the smoke around Marcus McNeill before I posted this.

It appears that we're not the only ones connecting the dots between McNeill and the Falcons, who have serious offensive line questions heading into 2012. D. Orlando Ledbetter makes a good case for the Falcons signing McNeill, and I don't think it's one we should dismiss out of hand.

Basically, DOL's reasons for thinking this is a marriage made in free agent heaven are as follows:

The Falcons need to upgrade the offensive line. While Will Svitek played well at left tackle this last year, he wasn't a great run blocker and the Falcons should try to give him a little competition. Sam Baker is not that competition.
He won't cost much. McNeill is unlikely to be cleared by San Diego's doctors due to concerns over his neck, and teams are leery of paying big money to players who are uncertain to play. The Falcons can probably scoop him off the scrap heap on a one-year contract with heavy incentives. If he doesn't work out, it'll cost them relatively little for the gamble.
The upside is considerable. When healthy, McNeill is a multi-time Pro Bowler and one of the biggest tackles in the NFL. There's no doubt in my mind that at 28 years old, a healthy McNeill is an instant upgrade at tackle for the Falcons.

A properly structured contract would give the team minimal risk in case he can't recover fully, while still giving them at worst a pretty good backup and at best a definite upgrade at left tackle. Frankly, I don't see how they can go wrong kicking the tires on McNeill.

Do you agree?

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Love his size, it'll be risky but that hasn't stopped us before. (R. Edwards, K. Hayden, B. Williams, etc.)

by mr92687!!! on Feb 12, 2012 1:40 PM EST reply actions

We used some crazy medical diagnostics on Hayden's neck

Which allowed us to sign a really good corner (when healthy- at least it wasn’t the neck). Bring the same testing to bear, and if he’s a go, I say sign him.

by TheAreopagite on Feb 12, 2012 2:34 PM EST up reply actions

This would be a great signing

He’s a much better LT than Demetrius Bell and they both have injury issues. I bet McNeill will be pretty affordable.

by leonw92 on Feb 12, 2012 2:26 PM EST reply actions

Bad back, bad neck, played just 20 out of 32 games the past 2 seasons but...

The previous 4 played 62 of 64 games a couple of pro bowls and according to the Falcons Yahoo team report the whole back and neck thing may be stemming from a “simple weight/muscle imbalance”. I don’t know how easy a fix it is but as Kushion said a couple of posts back and Dave said here, the guy is in 1 year contract territory. Our backup in Svitek is serviceable and who knows, with an off season to work on run blocking now that he’s shed the “tackle eligible” moniker, he may be ok to spell McNiell at times or to plain step in.

by aces666high on Feb 12, 2012 2:38 PM EST reply actions

It would be nice if Svitek could step up

But the only real problem would be that we wouldn’t really know if he could be trained up with his run blocking until after training camp. By that point we might not have any other options but him.
I agree that McNeil is worth the one year on a wait-and-see basis.

by ErrantFalcon on Feb 12, 2012 2:58 PM EST up reply actions

I would say sign him.

We see the “20 out of 32 games” played but 6 of those games were from him holding out for a new contract so that number is not accurate. Our Oline would improve with him in there and I think we could get him for a “reasonable” price. Plus he may want to come back home and play since he’s from Decatur, GA

by Fear Me on Feb 13, 2012 11:25 AM EST up reply actions

That 20 out of 32 games stat is intentionally misleading...

Yes, he played 20 of the last 32 games, but 6 of the missed games were due to a contract holdout. He only missed 8 games in his career due to injury, while he started in 74 of them. Seems like people are trying to make him sound more injury prone than history indicates…

by bischoje on Feb 13, 2012 4:39 PM EST up reply actions

Wouldn't normally go for a recovering player like this, but

As you mentioned, the upside at a position we haven’t really had a lot of success with for the last couple of years is too good to pass up.

This assumes that we’d be able to get him at a bargain price. I’m not sure what the market is for him now, but if any team but us wants him, then it might not be worth the price. Especially since we need some other key positions which we’ll have to look for in the FA market.

by ErrantFalcon on Feb 12, 2012 2:54 PM EST reply actions

The problem with a 1 yr contract

Is that pleople that big just don’t heal quickly. (except Reggie White) I’d be much happier with a low-bonus multi-year deal. Either way, I see him as more project than stop-gap.

Perilously close to a 2007 style depression.

by VaderX5 on Feb 12, 2012 3:28 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Project?

He’s a franchise LT and 2 time Pro Bowler so if anything it would be a risky signing considering his injury. He was pretty sturdy before the injury. The other top free agent LT is Demetrius Bell but he’s been sidelined more than McNeill

by leonw92 on Feb 12, 2012 3:38 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah I wouldn't like to see a 1-yr contract...

The problem with a one-year contract is that it limits your upside. Say the guy does stay healthy, and dominates… now you gotta pay him a huge amount to resign him at the end of the year or watch him walk.

Instead, the Falcons should try to sign him to a 4 year deal, with plenty of incentives but also opt-out options to protect the team if he can’t recover. Look at the contract that the Bucs gave to Thomas Davis before 2011. That kind of an option bonus is a great way to handle a talented, but recently-injured player. He knows that if you decide to keep him, he’ll be well-paid.

by bischoje on Feb 13, 2012 4:44 PM EST up reply actions

IMagine if we could sign McNeil to a relatively small contract then snag Nicks with a big contract

by Speedytosin on Feb 12, 2012 3:34 PM EST reply actions

With Our LT Situtation

We cant be picky, hes gonna be a one year solution (hopefully he will get back to his regular probowl status) untill next years draft. And even if he is a stop-gap who cares theres nothing else out there, we just need something for now till we can draft a true left tackle, give mcneil the one year deal worst comes to worst svitek is starting cause there are no other tackles to choose from

by Nedk23 on Feb 12, 2012 4:35 PM EST reply actions

I love this idea!

Its a low risk high reward deal, worst case is he is injured, doesn’t play and Svitek starts, best case we get a pro bowl calibre left tackle.
Either way Svitek knows he has to keep working hard to prove he can start, cost won’t be that high, we can concentrate on spending the money at right guard or D line and use our draft picks to get players that Nolan wants to fit his system.

by HappySour on Feb 12, 2012 6:11 PM EST reply actions

im tending to

feel the same way, very good upside if he is healthy and i think too signing him to a one yea deal with incentives would be the way to go, you could sign him pretty cheap and if healthy would be a big upgrade to the line. think of the possibility of signing him and a guard like grubbs, if mcneil is healthy and grubbs plays like he has been that would be an instant upgrade to the o-line, i fall in line with the theory as far as drafting a lineman in the place we are drafting from i dont think you can say for sure whoever we’d sign as a lineman if we went that route that he would be a right a way starter

by c_hass_2 on Feb 12, 2012 9:16 PM EST reply actions

VaderX5 has me thinking

I’d rather see him signed to a low-price, incentive laden 2-yr deal than just a 1 year trial. Either way, it’s a great idea to at least look at the guy. He could help our team tremendously and shouldn’t cost us much if he doesn’t.

by drmondo667 on Feb 12, 2012 11:53 PM EST reply actions

If we can get him cheap

I certainly think he’s worth rolling the dice on. One-year contract is fine. If he excels and is healthy, maybe the Falcons ante up to make him a long-term answer. If not, they cut him loose. Still got Svitek to step in if his injury problems reoccur.

by dom on Feb 13, 2012 1:28 AM EST reply actions

the only problem I see

our team is known for making only 1 big time FA acquisition per year. unless he comes at a very affordable price tag, I’d say we have other burning issues to be taken care of.

Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia

by Gemini-RU on Feb 13, 2012 4:23 AM EST reply actions

Perhaps...

but we’ve seen some seemingly small-time signing make a big impact during the season. Look at what afterthoughts like Hayden and Sanders were able to do for us last year? We’re not limited to one meaningful FA per year, by any means.

by bischoje on Feb 13, 2012 4:46 PM EST up reply actions

yeah

if someone said before the Giants game that one of those gentlemen would account for all of our points, I’d be stunned.

Atlanta Falcons fan in Moscow, Russia

by Gemini-RU on Feb 15, 2012 6:40 AM EST up reply actions

damaged goods. don't do it

by durst on Feb 13, 2012 5:56 PM EST reply actions

The neck injury worries me!!

"I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl." - Joe Jacoby, formerly of the Redskins
"To win, I'd run over Joe's mom too." - Matt Millen, formerly of the Raiders

"We now have exactly the same situation as we had at the start of the race, only exactly the opposite" - Murray Walker, Sportscaster

by Blood_Talon on Feb 14, 2012 5:36 PM EST reply actions