It took a little while for the team to make believers of us all, but the Cincinnati Bengals made moves to prove the “All-In” mentality that was spoken about in the early months of 2026. After a productive free agency period, Cincinnati swung for the fences in a trade for Dexter Lawrence, wherein the squad shipped the No. 10 pick for him to the Giants.
Count one of the veteran team leaders of the team—Orlando Brown Jr—as one of the many who gives their seal of approval on the deal. In a recent appearance
on NFL Network’s “The Insiders” program, Brown talked about the pleasant surprise and what Lawrence brings to the table for Cincinnati.
“I was shocked, man, because guys like that don’t even become available—that’s really the crazy part to me,” Brown told the hosts. “We’re just thankful he ended up here because there’s no telling what would have happened if he had ended up with a divisional rival.”
In that vein, these are the splashy types of trades and signings routinely seen from larger market teams and perennial powerhouses, including those within the AFC North. To call this move by the Bengals “uncharacteristic” is a massive understatement.
In a few short days during spring workouts, Lawrence has already made an impression on Brown and his teammates. Aside from his mammoth size, “Sexy Dexy” appears to be refreshed by the change of scenery and having his contract situation sorted out.
“He just brings such a positive juice to our locker room that was somewhat missing on that side of the ball, man,” Brown continued. “A leader, as I mentioned, loves the game of football, and he’s just so fit for what we are and what it means to be a Bengal. I was so fired up when the trade went through.”
A key component to the playoff-less run from 2023-2025 for the Bengals was a lack of identity—particularly on defense. Injuries, free agency attrition, and late draft bloomers have all contributed to that issue, but Lawrence coming in with a myriad of solid outside free agents and exciting rookies appears to be getting the Bengals back to the early years of this decade.
Brown also noted that he had dinner on a Sunday night with Lawrence once the trade was officially consummated. It’s quite possible that the “juice” and “fit” comments initially stemmed from that sit-down.
Regardless, it appears that the team is already feeling the impact of Lawrence on the roster, and the hope is that his arrival will pay huge, immediate dividends for a defense needing a quick turnaround in performance.
