In football, everything begins with the offensive line. That is why the New Orleans Saints have had so many concerns this offseason. Their offensive line took several knocks. Andrus Peat left for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, James Hurst retired, and Ryan Ramczyk underwent knee surgery that could sideline him.
To reestablish a solid line, the Saints made their largest move in the draft by selecting Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall choice. New Orleans also signed some veteran lineman in free agency to aid with depth. On Sunday, the Saints did it again, signing veteran tackle Lucas Patrick to a one-year contract.
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The Saints have signed veteran lineman Lucas Patrick. Patrick, who went undrafted in 2016, has established a successful career. He is preparing for his ninth season in the NFL, which will be with his third franchise. Patrick spent his first six seasons with the Green Bay Packers, where he appeared in 73 games and started 34. Patrick left Green Bay to join a rival, the Chicago Bears, on a two-year contract. In Chicago, he started 20 out of 23 games.
He’s now on his way to New Orleans to help out on the interior offensive line. New Orleans returns Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz at centre and right guard, respectively, although the left guard position is available. With the Saints testing Taliese Fuaga at left tackle, Trevor Penning or Patrick might take over at left guard. It could also be Fuaga’s.
It’s still early in the offseason, so the Saints will have plenty of time to figure out what they think is the greatest mix. The good news is that New Orleans now has a large pool of experienced linemen from which to select when putting together these combinations.
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