Former Green Bay Packers starting center Lucas Patrick has found his next home after patiently waiting for a contract in free agency.
Travis May with AtoZ Sports posted to X on Sunday, May 12 that Patrick had agreed to a deal with the New Orleans Saints.
BREAKING: New Orleans #Saints are signing free agent OL Lucas Patrick to a one-year deal for the veteran salary benefit.
— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) May 12, 2024
Patrick has played nearly 4000 snaps for the #Bears and #Packers throughout his 7+ year #NFL career. 🔗🔽https://t.co/BoczCkMdZR
After months of waiting in free agency, Patrick finally landed his next contract with the Saints. He’ll only be under contract in 2024 on a league-minimum deal, however, so he’ll need to play at a high enough level to earn another contract with an NFL team in 2025.
Lucas Patrick’s Football Career
Although he’s never been a star player, Patrick has carved out a respectable and lengthy NFL career. That’s especially true when you consider how his career started.
Patrick was a multi-year starter for the Duke Blue Devils in college. By the end of his college career, he had played in 44 games, starting in 26 of them. He primarily played offensive guard, but also got at least one start at offensive tackle.
However, due to a lack of accolades and recognition, Patrick didn’t hear his named called in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Packers picked him up following the draft before eventually stashing him on the practice squad.
Patrick waited patiently for his opportunity. Although he appeared sparingly, he didn’t become a full-time starter until the 2020 season. By the time he left in free agency in 2022, he had played in 73 games, starting in 34 of them.
After playing five seasons for the Packers, Patrick signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Chicago Bears. He started 20 games for Chicago during that time, but only played in seven in his first season after being placed on injured reserve with a season-ending toe injury.
Patrick is still only 30 years old, so he may have a few more years in him. However, after how long it took him to sign a deal this offseason, he’ll need to have an effective year with the Saints to garner attention next offseason.
Packers Have Loaded on Offensive Line Depth
It looked like the Packers were going to severely lack offensive line depth heading into the offseason.
The Packers have tackled the unit in both free agency and the draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst signed veteran offensive tackle Andre Dillard prior to the 2024 NFL Draft.
A former first-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, Dillard has failed to meet expectations, and faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster given his struggles in 2023.
Once the draft came, the Packers tripled up on offensive line talent. That started by taking Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan in the first round. Duke’s Graham Barton was also available with the pick, but the Packers appeared to prefer Morgan’s experience and athletic profile.
The Packers then doubled up on offensive line players on Day 3. After taking Duke’s Jacob Monk in the fifth round, the Packers also picked up Travis Glover out of Georgia State in the sixth.
There may have concerns about the team’s depth on the offensive line earlier this offseason, but that doesn’t look like it will be an issue in 2024.
