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EAST RUTHERFORD - Dexter Lawrence has been a good Giant with a chance to be a great Giant.
Now there is uncertainty as to whether Lawrence will remain a Giant for much longer.
The Giants and Lawrence have had "productive conversations" about a resolution after he requested a trade on April 7, general manager Joe Schoen said Tuesday afternoon. But now it appears that resolution might wind up being a divorce in light of an NFL Network report hours later that indicated those talks between Lawrence and the Giants had reached an "impasse."
The report by Ian Rapaport suggested that the 2026 NFL Draft, set to begin April 23, could force a decision and what the next step for everyone involved will be, resulting in a franchise-altering move one way or the other.
This much is true: the Giants would immediately become a worse team without Lawrence.
But given the assets they could get in return, team brass would have an opportunity to strengthen the roster and the team without the financial constraints of a veteran player who is in position to prove he can still be dominant and disruptive coming off a season to forget.
Lawrence requested a trade from the team for which he has reached elite status as one of the top interior forces in the NFL, an individual with knowledge of the situation told NorthJersey.com and The Record on Monday, April 6.
That news came the day before the Giants reported for the first voluntary offseason program of the John Harbaugh era with the franchise.
Lawrence is certainly not the first player to demand a trade over a contract, and the Giants have had their share from decorated franchise stars such as Hall of Famer Harry Carson, Phil Simms and most recently Osi Umenyiora.
Teams had inquired about the availability of the 6-foot-4, 345-pound Lawrence last season around the trade deadline, a source said. But the Giants kept one of their best players on the roster, even in the midst of a disappointing 2025 campaign during which Lawrence did not perform to the standard he set previously.
The Giants must decide if Lawrence's performance last season was an anomaly and not a sign that his play is trending downward. The defensive line lacks depth to begin with, and that's with Lawrence at the top of the depth chart.
The question that has been bandied about: are the Giants motivated to rip up the deal and give Lawrence what he wants? Maybe a better question is, should they be? He is under contract, and it's not like he'll be paid pennies on the dollar in 2026.
Lawrence has two years remaining from the four-year, $90 million extension he signed in 2023. He is scheduled to make $20 million this upcoming season, so it's not like the Giants are not committed to Lawrence financially, but there is no guaranteed money left on the deal.
If Lawrence can prove last season's 0.5-sack campaign was a blip on an otherwise dominant resume, he's dramatically underpaid for the caliber of performance he has delivered.
"Well, I don't know if granting a request is really the right way to say it, because it doesn't really work like that," Harbaugh said of Lawrence in a video call on Tuesday, April 7. "It's not like a Christmas gift. It just doesn't work like that. It's business, you know, so the business is to be the best football team that we can be, and the business for him, I'm sure, is to be the best player he can be ... we'll see what happens."
One of the benefits of signing his current deal early was that Lawrence was able to cash in; but as time progresses, the parameters quickly provided the Giants with a boost, having one of the top players in the league at a cost-effective price because general manager Joe Schoen paid him when he did.
The defensive tackle market in the NFL has continued to expand financially, which has pushed Lawrence's contract further down in the greater landscape. His contract now ranks 12th in average annual value at the position, trailing such recent deals signed by the Eagles' Jordan Davis (three years, $78 million) and the Patriots' Milton Williams, who inked a four-year, $104 million deal after the Eagles' Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
It's unclear if the Giants would get top dollar in terms of market value if they decide to entertain trade talks, or if the best move would be to engage in negotiations to keep Lawrence here and make him happy. The roster - and the experience and production around him - might be Lawrence's best leverage.
What could the Giants get for Lawrence? The Jets traded Quinnen Williams at the deadline from Dallas last season and received a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
"I'm always going to pick up the phone, so if a team calls - maybe not to the effect that Coach [Harbaugh] said last week, that everybody is tradeable," Schoen said. "But that is my job as the general manager, if teams call, you take into account. It's a case-by-case basis and what the compensation may be. That's my job, to take into consideration what that looks like, what the compensation looks like, who the player is, how that affects the roster, and then try to make the best decision off of that."
Chicago Bears: Lawrence would upgrade the defensive front in the Second City, and the assets might be a match as well. The Bears have the No. 25 overall pick and two second rounders this year (No. 57 and 60).
Los Angeles Chargers: Coached by John Harbaugh's brother Jim, the Bolts could add Lawrence to the tandem of Teair Tart and former Giant Dalvin Tomlinson. L.A. holds the No. 22 overall pick, a second rounder (No. 50 overall) and a third rounder (No. 86).
Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh's old team gave up on the trade for Maxx Crosby and brought in Trey Hendrickson. Could they add Lawrence and part with a package of picks and players. Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey, a Harbaugh favorite, plus Baltimore's first-round pick (No. 12) would be appealing. The Ravens also hold No. 45 overall in the second round and No. 80 in the third round.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals hold the No. 10 overall pick in addition to No. 41 in the second and No. 72 in the third.
Jacksonville Jaguars: DC Anthony Campanile's defense is aggressive and would love to add a piece up front with newly resigned edge Travon Walker. The Jaguars don't have a first round pick this year, but they do have a second-rounder and three third-rounders. Maybe a 2 with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. would interest both parties.
"We want Dexter here," Harbaugh said. "And I believe Dexter wants to be here. That's a good formula, but there's business involved."
Lawrence had nine sacks two years ago and he was widely considered a unicorn at the position, but his 2024 season was cut short due to a dislocated elbow. The 28-year-old was eased into action because of the injury last summer and his conditioning early in the season appeared to be affected.
There was also speculation that Lawrence was unhappy with his contract and the losing situation that again forced changes upon the Giants with the firings of Brian Daboll - his third head coach - and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, whose unit struggled mightily for most of a four-win campaign.
Lawrence also had to watch two close friends and former Giants teammates Leonard Williams and Julian Love win the Super Bowl as members of the Seattle Seahawks - Williams was traded there and Love signed there as a free agent - one year after Saquon Barkley won the Super Bowl with the Eagles.
While Lawrence has not talked publicly about how that success made him feel as the Giants' losing continued - he actually expressed the opposite last season, insisting he wanted to achieve Ring of Honor status and win here - it would be human nature if there was also a tinge of envy.
It's easy to understand any motivation to prove he's still the best at his position - not to mention show the Giants he deserves more - and there is likely no coincidence that training videos of Lawrence have surfaced on social media in recent days.
“How important is he? Really important. He’s super, super important,” Harbaugh said at the NFL Combine. “He’s a cornerstone football player, not really a cornerstone - he’s more like the middle stone. He’s right in the middle. He’s a very big stone and he’s a very active athletic stone. So we want him in there being a big stone.”
Giants coaches defended his presence even though Lawrence came under scrutiny for his lack of production while outside linebacker Brian Burns registered 16.5 sacks, the most for a Giant since Jason Pierre-Paul in 2011.
"We'd like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we'll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be. We'll see," Schoen said. "But conversations have been really good. They've been productive. Again, we'll see what happens here down the road."
While the Giants wait to see what happens next with Lawrence, they'll continue to weigh their options. Veterans Shelby Harris, D.J. Reader and Austin Johnson have talked to the Giants - including visits for Harris and Reader - and any combination of the three players could be inked as potential signings after the draft.
In terms of pre-draft evaluation, the Giants have had defensive lineman Christen Miller of Georgia and Lee Hunter of Texas Tech among others in for "30" visits. Both are viewed as second-round picks that may sneak into the back end of the first round.
As for Lawrence, he is not participating in the voluntary offseason program and there is no reason to believe he will any time soon.
"He's under contract for two more years. We're not going to put any deadlines on things," Schoen said. "Right now, productive conversations, and we'll see where it goes."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Have NY Giants, Dexter Lawrence already reached a point of no return?
Continue reading...
Now there is uncertainty as to whether Lawrence will remain a Giant for much longer.
The Giants and Lawrence have had "productive conversations" about a resolution after he requested a trade on April 7, general manager Joe Schoen said Tuesday afternoon. But now it appears that resolution might wind up being a divorce in light of an NFL Network report hours later that indicated those talks between Lawrence and the Giants had reached an "impasse."
The report by Ian Rapaport suggested that the 2026 NFL Draft, set to begin April 23, could force a decision and what the next step for everyone involved will be, resulting in a franchise-altering move one way or the other.
This much is true: the Giants would immediately become a worse team without Lawrence.
But given the assets they could get in return, team brass would have an opportunity to strengthen the roster and the team without the financial constraints of a veteran player who is in position to prove he can still be dominant and disruptive coming off a season to forget.
Lawrence requested a trade from the team for which he has reached elite status as one of the top interior forces in the NFL, an individual with knowledge of the situation told NorthJersey.com and The Record on Monday, April 6.
That news came the day before the Giants reported for the first voluntary offseason program of the John Harbaugh era with the franchise.
Lawrence is certainly not the first player to demand a trade over a contract, and the Giants have had their share from decorated franchise stars such as Hall of Famer Harry Carson, Phil Simms and most recently Osi Umenyiora.
Teams had inquired about the availability of the 6-foot-4, 345-pound Lawrence last season around the trade deadline, a source said. But the Giants kept one of their best players on the roster, even in the midst of a disappointing 2025 campaign during which Lawrence did not perform to the standard he set previously.
The Giants must decide if Lawrence's performance last season was an anomaly and not a sign that his play is trending downward. The defensive line lacks depth to begin with, and that's with Lawrence at the top of the depth chart.
The question that has been bandied about: are the Giants motivated to rip up the deal and give Lawrence what he wants? Maybe a better question is, should they be? He is under contract, and it's not like he'll be paid pennies on the dollar in 2026.
Lawrence has two years remaining from the four-year, $90 million extension he signed in 2023. He is scheduled to make $20 million this upcoming season, so it's not like the Giants are not committed to Lawrence financially, but there is no guaranteed money left on the deal.
If Lawrence can prove last season's 0.5-sack campaign was a blip on an otherwise dominant resume, he's dramatically underpaid for the caliber of performance he has delivered.
"Well, I don't know if granting a request is really the right way to say it, because it doesn't really work like that," Harbaugh said of Lawrence in a video call on Tuesday, April 7. "It's not like a Christmas gift. It just doesn't work like that. It's business, you know, so the business is to be the best football team that we can be, and the business for him, I'm sure, is to be the best player he can be ... we'll see what happens."
One of the benefits of signing his current deal early was that Lawrence was able to cash in; but as time progresses, the parameters quickly provided the Giants with a boost, having one of the top players in the league at a cost-effective price because general manager Joe Schoen paid him when he did.
The defensive tackle market in the NFL has continued to expand financially, which has pushed Lawrence's contract further down in the greater landscape. His contract now ranks 12th in average annual value at the position, trailing such recent deals signed by the Eagles' Jordan Davis (three years, $78 million) and the Patriots' Milton Williams, who inked a four-year, $104 million deal after the Eagles' Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
Dexter Lawrence:
It's unclear if the Giants would get top dollar in terms of market value if they decide to entertain trade talks, or if the best move would be to engage in negotiations to keep Lawrence here and make him happy. The roster - and the experience and production around him - might be Lawrence's best leverage.
What could the Giants get for Lawrence? The Jets traded Quinnen Williams at the deadline from Dallas last season and received a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
"I'm always going to pick up the phone, so if a team calls - maybe not to the effect that Coach [Harbaugh] said last week, that everybody is tradeable," Schoen said. "But that is my job as the general manager, if teams call, you take into account. It's a case-by-case basis and what the compensation may be. That's my job, to take into consideration what that looks like, what the compensation looks like, who the player is, how that affects the roster, and then try to make the best decision off of that."
Dexter Lawrence: These teams could make a deal with Giants
Chicago Bears: Lawrence would upgrade the defensive front in the Second City, and the assets might be a match as well. The Bears have the No. 25 overall pick and two second rounders this year (No. 57 and 60).
Los Angeles Chargers: Coached by John Harbaugh's brother Jim, the Bolts could add Lawrence to the tandem of Teair Tart and former Giant Dalvin Tomlinson. L.A. holds the No. 22 overall pick, a second rounder (No. 50 overall) and a third rounder (No. 86).
Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh's old team gave up on the trade for Maxx Crosby and brought in Trey Hendrickson. Could they add Lawrence and part with a package of picks and players. Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey, a Harbaugh favorite, plus Baltimore's first-round pick (No. 12) would be appealing. The Ravens also hold No. 45 overall in the second round and No. 80 in the third round.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals hold the No. 10 overall pick in addition to No. 41 in the second and No. 72 in the third.
Jacksonville Jaguars: DC Anthony Campanile's defense is aggressive and would love to add a piece up front with newly resigned edge Travon Walker. The Jaguars don't have a first round pick this year, but they do have a second-rounder and three third-rounders. Maybe a 2 with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. would interest both parties.
Lawrence trade request: 'We want Dexter here'
"We want Dexter here," Harbaugh said. "And I believe Dexter wants to be here. That's a good formula, but there's business involved."
Lawrence had nine sacks two years ago and he was widely considered a unicorn at the position, but his 2024 season was cut short due to a dislocated elbow. The 28-year-old was eased into action because of the injury last summer and his conditioning early in the season appeared to be affected.
There was also speculation that Lawrence was unhappy with his contract and the losing situation that again forced changes upon the Giants with the firings of Brian Daboll - his third head coach - and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, whose unit struggled mightily for most of a four-win campaign.
Lawrence also had to watch two close friends and former Giants teammates Leonard Williams and Julian Love win the Super Bowl as members of the Seattle Seahawks - Williams was traded there and Love signed there as a free agent - one year after Saquon Barkley won the Super Bowl with the Eagles.
While Lawrence has not talked publicly about how that success made him feel as the Giants' losing continued - he actually expressed the opposite last season, insisting he wanted to achieve Ring of Honor status and win here - it would be human nature if there was also a tinge of envy.
It's easy to understand any motivation to prove he's still the best at his position - not to mention show the Giants he deserves more - and there is likely no coincidence that training videos of Lawrence have surfaced on social media in recent days.
“How important is he? Really important. He’s super, super important,” Harbaugh said at the NFL Combine. “He’s a cornerstone football player, not really a cornerstone - he’s more like the middle stone. He’s right in the middle. He’s a very big stone and he’s a very active athletic stone. So we want him in there being a big stone.”
Giants coaches defended his presence even though Lawrence came under scrutiny for his lack of production while outside linebacker Brian Burns registered 16.5 sacks, the most for a Giant since Jason Pierre-Paul in 2011.
"We'd like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we'll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be. We'll see," Schoen said. "But conversations have been really good. They've been productive. Again, we'll see what happens here down the road."
Giants and Dexter Lawrence: What's next?
While the Giants wait to see what happens next with Lawrence, they'll continue to weigh their options. Veterans Shelby Harris, D.J. Reader and Austin Johnson have talked to the Giants - including visits for Harris and Reader - and any combination of the three players could be inked as potential signings after the draft.
In terms of pre-draft evaluation, the Giants have had defensive lineman Christen Miller of Georgia and Lee Hunter of Texas Tech among others in for "30" visits. Both are viewed as second-round picks that may sneak into the back end of the first round.
As for Lawrence, he is not participating in the voluntary offseason program and there is no reason to believe he will any time soon.
"He's under contract for two more years. We're not going to put any deadlines on things," Schoen said. "Right now, productive conversations, and we'll see where it goes."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Have NY Giants, Dexter Lawrence already reached a point of no return?
Continue reading...
