Former Green Bay Packers The starting center for the Green Bay Packers, Lucas Patrick, has found a new team after 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.
After patiently waiting in free agency, Patrick has finally signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints. His contract is for the 2024 season and is for the league minimum. He will need to perform well to earn another contract with an NFL team in 2025.
Lucas Patrick’s Football Career
Patrick has had a respectable and long NFL career, even though he was not a standout player. This is particularly notable considering how his career began.
Before his NFL career, Patrick was a multi-year starter for the Duke Blue Devils in college. He participated in 44 games, with 26 starts, primarily as an offensive guard, and also had at least one start as an offensive tackle.
Despite not receiving many awards and recognition, Patrick was not selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was later picked up by the Packers and placed on the practice squad.
Patrick patiently waited for his chance, becoming a full-time starter only in the 2020 season. By the time he left the Packers in 2022, he had played in 73 games, starting in 34.
After playing for the Packers for five seasons, Patrick signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Chicago Bears, starting 20 games during that time. However, he only played in seven games in his first season with the Bears after being placed on injured reserve due to a toe injury that ended his season.
At 30 years old, Patrick still may have a few years left in his career. However, given the time it took him to sign a deal this offseason, he will need to have a successful year with the Saints to attract attention next offseason.
Packers Have Loaded on Offensive Line Depth
The Packers were initially expected to have a shortage of depth in the offensive line for the upcoming season.
However, the Packers have addressed this by adding to the unit in both free agency and the draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst signed veteran offensive tackle Andre Dillard before the 2024 NFL Draft.
Dillard, a former first-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, has struggled to meet expectations and faces a challenge to secure a spot on the 53-man roster due to his difficulties in 2023.
During the draft, the Packers significantly strengthened their offensive line talent. They picked Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan in the first round, opting for his experience and athleticism over Duke’s Graham Barton.
On Day 3 of the draft, the Packers further bolstered their offensive line by selecting Duke’s Jacob Monk in the fifth round and Travis Glover from Georgia State in the sixth.
While concerns about the team’s offensive line depth existed earlier, it appears that this will not be an issue in 2024.
