Saints get some crucial offensive line help, signing another veteran

In football, everything starts with the offensive line. That’s why things have been so concerning for the New Orleans Saints this offseason. Their offensive line took multiple hits. Andrus Peat left for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, James Hurst retired, and Ryan Ramczyk had a knee surgery that could keep him sidelined.

To rebuild a strong line, the Saints made their biggest move in the draft, selecting Taliese Fuaga with the 14th-overall pick. New Orleans also added some veteran linemen in free agency to help out with depth. On Sunday, the Saints continued to do that, signing veteran lineman Lucas Patrick to a one-year deal.

Saints sign veteran lineman Lucas Patrick

Patrick, who went undrafted in 2016, has carved out a nice career for himself. He’s preparing for his ninth season in the NFL, and will play it with his third team. Patrick spent his first six years with the Green Bay Packers, where he played in 73 total games, starting 34. After his stint in Green Bay, Patrick joined a rival, signing a two-year deal with the Chicago Bears. In Chicago, he started 20 of the 23 games he played in.

Now, he’s coming to New Orleans and will help on the interior offensive line. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are returning for New Orleans at center and right guard, but the left guard spot is open. With the Saints trying Taliese Fuaga at left tackle, the left guard spot could go to either Trevor Penning or Patrick. It could also end up being Fuaga’s.

It’s still extremely early in the offseason, so the Saints will have plenty of time to come up with what they believe is the best combination. The good news is, New Orleans now has quite a few experienced linemen it can choose from to create these combinations.

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