The New York Giants have received a trade request from former All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Lawrence wants a better contract and the Giants have not been able to appease that desire for more money, so the defensive tackle wants to go to a team that’s happy to foot the bill for him, per the rumor mill.
The Rams are usually involved in trade requests for star players. Would Lawrence fit L.A.’s need for another star player next to Jared Verse as the Rams look
to improve their defense even more in 2026?
Lawrence was dominant as a pass rusher from 2022-2024, totaling 21 sacks in 44 games despite weighing a massive 340 lbs.
However, his contract does not have any guaranteed money left on it and he’s signed through 2027. Lawrence would presumably like to see his numbers match those of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the NFL, of which he is lagging way behind:
- Lawrence makes $18-$18.5 million in base salary over the next two seasons
- Lawrence only has $5 million in various bonuses (if he reaches all of them) in 2026-2027
So that’s a total of $41 million to be made over the next two seasons.
In comparison, the Patriots signed Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract in 2025 with $51 million guaranteed. Lawrence probably feels like he’s better than Williams and he could be right. Lawrence only had 0.5 sacks in 2025, but he played in all 17 games.
He could be hurt by the fact that he’s playing for the Giants.
At 28 years old, Lawrence should have several more seasons left in his prime, at least.
The Rams would be able to slot him into a front-seven with other star players and together they might form one of the best defensive lines in the NFL next season. It’s hard to project that lineup exactly because the Rams might want to dangle a player to the Giants in return for Lawrence like Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, or Byron Young.
Should the Rams offer Young and a second round pick for Lawrence, knowing that Young is due a raise too?
Maybe that’s too much of a price to pay or maybe too little. I’m not sure, it’s a difficult evaluation. But with players like Josaiah Stewart on the roster and the potential to draft another edge rusher (Zion Young?) in the first round this month, maybe Young would become expendable. Poona Ford is a good defensive tackle.
He’s not Dexter Lawrence.
Should the Rams strike while Lawrence is asking for a trade? They can afford the contract. Can they afford the contract and the picks? It would make the defense better to have Dexter Lawrence. It’s just a matter of how badly they think they need him, which might not be a lot.
