Getty Running back A.J. Dillon #28 of the Green Bay Packers is congratulated by center Lucas Patrick #62 after a touchdown during the 4th quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on January 02, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Chicago Bears are already taking advantage of new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s connections elsewhere in the NFC North.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Bears have agreed to terms on a two-year, $8 million contract with former Green Bay Packers guard/center Lucas Patrick, offering him $4 million fully guaranteed for the 2022 season.
Patrick was a homegrown talent for the Packers, signing with them as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and developing into an effective interior starter for their offensive line. He spent the majority of the 2021 season as the Packers’ starting center and allowed just one sack and 15 pressures over his 821 snaps at the position, according to Pro Football Focus. By comparison, Sam Mustipher — the Bears’ free-agent center — gave up just one sack over 1,121 snaps at the position last year but also allowed 28 total pressures.
Patrick also started four games at left guard and 11 games at right guard in the previous season, making him a versatile addition that should help Chicago account for the departure of veteran James Daniels in free agency.
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Getsy Saw Patrick Develop With Packers
Part of what makes Patrick such an interesting addition for Chicago is his familiarity with the Bears’ new offensive coordinator. Getsy worked indirectly with Patrick over the past three seasons as the Packers’ quarterbacks coach and, starting in 2020, the coordinator of their passing game. More importantly, he watched Patrick help keep his starting quarterback — Aaron Rodgers — upright on a regular basis while handling whatever positional responsibility was thrown his way based on injuries.
The real question about Patrick is where Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles envision him playing. He could play center and take over for Mustipher (assuming they do not bring him back later in free agency). He could also be viewed as a replacement for James Daniels at right guard. It’s possible even they aren’t sure where they want him yet, but that’s the beauty of getting a starter who can play multiple roles.
Now, Patrick is not without his weaknesses. Despite being a big (6-foot-3, 313 pounds) and physical lineman, he was generally much better at holding the pass protection than creating holes for the run game over his years with the Packers. It’s not like he was working with a B-team of running backs, either, with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon manning his most recent backfield. The Bears will need to see him make strides in that department to give David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert the appropriate help in 2022.
More OL Depth Necessary for Chicago
Patrick is a nice pickup, but the Bears are hardly done fortifying their trenches for the 2022 season. There are depth needs at just about every spot with Germain Ifedi, Jason Peters, Alex Bars, Elijah Wilkinson and Alex Redmond all set to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16. There are also doubts about both of the Bears’ starting tackles — Tevin Jenkins and Larry Borom — after uneven rookie seasons in 2021; though, both will be back for Year 2.
The Bears have already made one splash in free agency after agreeing to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, but it isn’t out of the question to think they could lock down another starter-quality piece at center or tackle over the next few weeks. And if a free agent doesn’t suit them, they could always turn their attention to the draft and consider investing an early-to-mid-round pick on additional reinforcements for their offensive line.
According to Over the Cap, the Bears are projected to have a little more than $30 million in cap space after adding Patrick’s contract to their books for 2022.