Chicago 2022 Bears Free Agency: Poles Makes Another Move

After a surprise signing and nothing else by Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, fans grew restless. The team finally made a move late in the night, signing an offensive lineman.

Well, after a surprise signing early on in the legal tampering period of free agency, Chicago Bears fans worried because they saw other teams take potential Chicago targets off the board. Also, they saw no movement coming from general manager Ryan Poles. That made them worry even more.

Then late in the night, Poles and the Bears made a move.

The Bears signed former Green Bay Packers interior offensive lineman Lucas Patrick. Perhaps he is James Daniels’ replacement. Daniels signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the day.

The deal was two years, $8 million. Quite a bargain, considering Daniels signed for three years, $26.5 million.

Patrick won’t get outworked

Patrick is the epitome of a hard-working player. He went undrafted and signed with the Packers in 2016. The Packers cut him and signed him to their practice squad. They signed him again in 2017 and he stuck.

Patrick didn’t spend a lot of time on the field as lineman. He did play in 40 of the possible 48 games but started only six of them. Furthermore, he only played in 29 percent of the offensive snaps in both 2017 and 2018. In 2019, he only played in 15 percent of the snaps.

Then, in 2020, he got his shot. He made the best of it, playing in 90 percent of the snaps. In 2021, he played in 82 percent of the snaps. Additionally, he started 28 games over the past two seasons.

Patrick was an asset for the Packers’ line. He played all along the interior line, helping out when Green Bay lost bodies. He even filled in at center. His ability to play multiple positions will be invaluable for the Bears.

This isn’t the sexy signing that Chicago Bears fans clamored for but it is a solid one. Patrick will give the Bears flexibility along the line if and when injuries hit. He is a solid, hard-working player who understands the Bears’ new system.

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Luke Getsy is the Chicago Bears’ new offensive coordinator. He came from Green Bay as well so he and Patrick are familiar with each other. Patrick will understand what Getsy wants from his offensive linemen and help the other linemen get it as well.

Patrick plays with a chip and will protect Fields

In addition to being a solid player, Patrick has a reputation for playing to the whistle, and sometimes after the whistle. If someone hits his quarterback the wrong way, he’ll be there in that player’s face and there will be a problem. This is something that Poles mentioned when he criticized the offensive line after watching the film.

It agitates me to see a quarterback get hit and be on the ground — and I watch the five guys and their body language… And also to protect your guy. If you see something cheap, something dirty, you need to set the tone that that’s not gonna happen, because if you do let it happen once, it’s going to happen over and over and next thing you know, your quarterback is hurt. So that (nastiness) mentality is critical and is something we need to add.

That might be the reason Poles allowed Daniels, a solid lineman (perhaps the best on the unit last season) but not an emotional player. He sometimes looked like he was going through the motions. He played well, but he didn’t inspire anyone.

If someone hits Justin Fields wrong, Patrick will let the entire world know that it won’t stand.

Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich loved the nastiness Patrick brought to the line. Being an undrafted player, he has that chip on his shoulder.

One thing about Lucas is he’s always got that chip-on-his-shoulder mentality, which guys have (that’ve) come up from undrafted to being a backup to earning a starting job. I love his mentality and I love the way he plays. He adds a nastiness to our room. I think other people see that and it feeds into other people, so it’s good.

Poles also wants a leaner, lighter, and quicker offensive line. The previous offensive line coach, Juan Castillo, had the opposite philosophy. He thought the bigger the line, the better it was. As we witnessed, that wasn’t always the case.

Patrick checks those boxes. He is 6-foot-3 and weighs 313 pounds.

Signing Patrick is a solid, if not sexy pick. Poles isn’t here to go after big names who might not fit what he wants. He wants players who play with passion and fit the mold he’s setting. This is exactly what Patrick is.