Injuries are striking interior offensive lines across the league, which could mean that teams could look toward free agent Mark Glowinski. A fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the West Virginia product entered the league with the Seattle Seahawks but spent the 2023 season with the New York Giants. Appearing in 13 games while making six starts, Glowinski finished the season with an unremarkable 63.3 PFF grade for one of the most disappointing teams in the league. Due to the lackluster season and his relatively advanced age, few teams showed any interest in him throughout the offseason.
Mark Glowinski might not be anyone’s Plan A, but the free agent could get some work thanks to a bad case of the injury bug. Several teams lost their starters to various ailments, allowing Glowinski to return to playing at the highest level. With their respective starters sidelined, don’t be surprised if the former fourth-round pick lands with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, or New Orleans Saints.
Panthers, Browns, Saints Fighting Over Free Agent Mark Glowinski
The Cleveland Browns season went from bad to worse when guard Wyatt Teller landed on the injured reserve with an MCL sprain. Teller, a three-time Pro Bowler, is one of the best at his position and his absence could be a crushing blow to a Cleveland Browns team already in a 1-2 hole. Deshaun Watson needs all the help he can get, as the controversial quarterback was one of the league’s least efficient quarterbacks with Teller in the lineup. Without him, this passing attack could become nonexistent. Mark Glowinski cannot match Teller’s level of play, but the free agent can be an adequate short-term starter.
Fortunately for the Browns, most of the AFC North got off to a slow start. While Justin Fields and the Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting pretty at 3-0, the Baltimore Ravens are 1-2 while the Cincinnati Bengals are still looking for their first win. Cleveland has the chance to catch up in this division, but they’ll need a free agent like Mark Glowinski to do it. Watson will never recapture his old form, so the rest of the team must be talented enough to offset his inadequate play. Glowinski can’t do it alone, but he’s an adequate option while Teller works his way back to the field.
NFC South Fight
The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints have two of the more surprising offensive lines of the young season. The free agent duo of Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis transformed the Panthers into one of the league’s top units, while the Saints offensive line is surprisingly strong compared to the preseason projections. However, both teams could lose their starting guards, and Damien Lewis and Cesar Ruiz are battling injuries. An offensive line is only as strong as its weakest link, so signing Mark Glowinski as a free agent could be crucial to keeping the units performing well.
The Panthers have a proven backup in Brady Christensen, so perhaps they’ll pass on free agent Mark Glowinski. The Saints, however, don’t have much in terms of proven depth behind Ruiz. Ruiz is far from the only Saint battling injuries, so New Orleans must find healthy bodies to keep Derek Carr upright. The former Raider is a reliable passer when kept clean but struggles against pressure, so New Orleans must improve his protection to make the playoffs.
Main Photo: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports
