Giants Bolster Interior O-Line with 9-Year Veteran Lucas Patrick

The New York Giants have signed offensive guard Lucas Patrick to a one-year deal.

Patrick is a nine-year veteran who began his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers in 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of Duke.

He spent five seasons with the Packers before moving on to the Chicago Bears for two seasons, then one season apiece with the Saints and the Bengals, the latter of whom he was with last season.

Patrick, 6-foot-3 and 313 pounds, can play any of the interior offensive line positions, having logged over 1,000 snaps at all three interior spots with 2,000 snaps coming at center.

Last year with the Bengals, he was limited to just 23 offensive snaps spread over five games, his season hampered by a calf injury that landed him on injured reserve for part of the year after Cincinnati named him the starting right guard.

Patrick has a career pass-blocking efficiency rating of 97.5, having allowed 119 pressures in 2,737 pass-blocking snaps. He has been solid as both a run blocker and in pass protection throughout his career.

Low-cost Depth signing reinforces a key spot

Patrick’s deal is believed to be for a veteran salary benefit. His arrival gives the Giants experience at center should something happen to projected starter John Michael Schmitz, as well as right guard in the event that Joshua Ezeudu, Aaron Stinnie, and Evan Neal don’t work out at that position during their anticipated competition this summer.

Patrick’s arrival does not preclude the Giants from drafting a guard, where, in Round 2, there is projected to be an abundance of choices. What his presence does is allow for a rookie to get acclimated to life in the NFL without the pressure of being thrown into the deep end right out of the chute.

And, as previously noted, it gives the Giants a replacement for Austin Schlottmann, who had been the backup guard/center for the Giants. Schlottmann signed a free-agent deal with the Tennessee Titans.

Four out of the Giants’ five starting offensive linemen from the last two seasons—left tackle Andrew Thomas, left guard Jon Runyan Jr, center Schmitz, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor—are returning for a third year together.

If Patrick wins the starting right guard spot, he replaces Greg Van Roten. The Giants signed Van Roten two summers ago after their hopes of converting Neal from right tackle to right guard. Neal’s setback came in the spring following season-ending ankle surgery.

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