Talks between star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and the New York Giants have reached “an impasse,” and the Giants “have engaged with teams on a potential trade,” according to a report from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
Lawrence, a seven-year veteran who has gone to three Pro Bowls and been named an All-Pro twice, recently requested a trade and has not been in attendance at the Giants’ offseason program.
General manager Joe Schoen opened his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday by saying that
he, coach John Harbaugh, and senior vice president of football operations Dawn Aponte have had “good conversations” with Lawrence’s representatives.
Ominously, though, Schoen also seemed less than certain that a new contract with Lawrence would be agreed upon.
“We’d like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we’ll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be,” said Schoen. “We’ll see.”
Lawrence has two years remaining on a four-year, $90 million contract extension signed in 2024. There is no guaranteed salary remaining on that deal, currently 11th in average annual value among defensive tackles.
Rapoport indicated that the Giants will continue to engage interested teams in a potential trade, and that the situation “should come to a head before the draft.”
Schoen refused on Tuesday to put a deadline on talks with Lawrence, but the beginning of the draft makes sense. If the Giants have to trade the 28-year-old 2019 first-round pick, getting a deal done by the draft is the only way to guarantee they get something in return that would be useful during the upcoming season.
Harbaugh had said last week at the beginning of the offseason program that “everybody’s tradeable.”
Unless something changes, it looks like that might apply to Lawrence.
