The Chicago Bears made a free agent signing last week that might have flown under the radar, but it could end up being one of the team's best signings of the offseason.

Chicago signed center Lucas Patrick to a two-year deal worth $8 million.

Patrick is a Brentwood, TN native who played college football at Duke under head coach David Cutcliffe. He spent the first six years of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

Patrick isn't a Pro-Bowl center. He's not going to be featured on many Sportscenter highlights.

But he's exactly the type of player the Bears want under new general manager Ryan Poles and new head coach Matt Eberflus.

Chicago is looking for "nasty" players under Poles and Eberflus.

And Patrick certainly fits the bill.

“I’ve got a switch I can flip,” said Patrick as he was introduced by the Bears last week. “I’m pretty low-key as you hopefully can see, I’m low-key right now. But once it’s time to play football, I don’t believe that it’s a contact sport. I believe it’s a collision sport and that’s how I like to play it.”

"On the field, I play football the way it's meant to be played: physical, tough, smart, disciplined," added Patrick in an interview with ChicagoBears.com this week. "That's what I pride myself on."

Patrick blocked for quarterback Aaron Rodgers for years in Green Bay. That's not a job you get without being a really good offensive lineman.

The Bears are building something that will last under Poles. They're building a culture that free agents will flock to in the coming years. Patrick is the poster boy for the type of player Poles is looking for in free agency.

Chicago is soon going to be a franchise that no one in the NFL wants to see on the schedule.

Featured image via Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports