For any Giants fans thinking New York’s next signing would be an offensive lineman, congratulations, you were right. And for those of you who expected it would be Greg Van Roten’s name being reported, you’ll be sadly mistaken.
After re-signing right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor earlier in the offseason, it looked like the Giants were running it back with the ninth-ranked offensive line from 2025 (per Pro Football Focus). Until they weren’t. Eluemunor’s return brought back about 80% of last year’s production, but the guy who’s started 34 straight games is still unsigned. The G-Men even brought back draft busts Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu, which makes GVR’s absence even harder to figure out.
Which is why it was more head-scratches than sighs of relief when longtime NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reported that general manager Joe Schoen and Co. agreed to a one-year deal with veteran guard Lucas Patrick on Monday afternoon:
#Giants signing veteran guard Lucas Patrick to one-year deal, per a league source. Played six games, with one start last season for #Bengals
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 6, 2026
113 career games, 65 career starts
Giants continue to ignore Greg Van Roten after surprising Lucas Patrick signing
It was a... surprising move, to say the least. Patrick, the former Packers, Bears, Saints, and Bengals offensive lineman, is heading into his 10th year in the league after going undrafted out of Duke in 2016.
He was waived by the Pack coming out of the preseason, but landed on their practice squad, where he spent his entire rookie season. The next offseason, the Cheeseheads brought him back on a futures contract and afterwards a few exclusive rights deals. He didn't see his first big payday until he tested the free agency waters in 2022, signing a two-year $8 million deal with Chicago. Since then, it's been a series of one-year deals.
The 32-year-old has played in a total of 113 games, starting 65 of them, so he brings a decent amount of experience to the locker room. Even still, the signing screams more like a “depth piece” than a “reliable starter,” which leaves the fans with one major question: where the heck is Greg Van Roten?!
The 36-year-old is just twiddling his thumbs, waiting for Schoen to pick up the phone and get the band back together. The former Penn brainiac came to New York on a one-year deal back in 2024, where he did enough to earn another one-year contract last year. It feels like we could have just kept the ball rolling and brought him back on another single-season deal... but here's Lucas Patrick!
Funny story, GVR also got his career started with the Packers after going undrafted in 2012. So maybe Schoen just mixed the two up? Can't put anything past this guy. Regardless, it's nice that the interior offensive line is getting addressed, but weird to pass on the guy who made more sense.