Brian Burns has made his feelings very clear to the New York Giants' front office on one particular subject.
The New York Giants have certainly had a busy offseason, and while it got off to a great start with a free-agent spending spree, it has certainly taken a wild turn with Dexter Lawrence's trade request.
The Giants do not have to honor Lawrence's demand. He is under contract for two more years, so New York can simply opt to move forward with him still on the roster.
Of course, it's never that easy.
The last thing the Giants want is Lawrence becoming a distraction in the locker room, so they might as well just placate him with a new contract featuring guaranteed money, which is Lawrence's biggest gripe at the moment.
Star edge rusher Brian Burns has made it very clear that he wants Lawrence in the building, sending a strong message to Big Blue brass to get something done.
"Business is business," Burns said, via ESPN. "I've been through it. ... How I feel technically is that we just need him in the building, regardless of whatever it is. Figure it out. Get it done. I don't want to see somebody else in that 97 besides Dex. So that's just my take on it."
New York Giants edge rusher Brian Burns. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.While it's not entirely that simple considering Lawrence just had the worst season of his career and could be on the verge of a decline, Burns' point is valid.
New York is finally heading in a positive direction for the first time in eons, so to keep the peace and harmony, working things out with Lawrence would be ideal.
The 28-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler, after all, and even though he registered just 31 tackles, a half of a sack and eight quarterback hits in 2025, he seems like a prime bounce-back candidate for next season.
Plus, the Giants need defensive tackle help as it is, so jettisoning Lawrence would just open up a gaping hole on the interior.
The question is, how much would New York actually be willing to pay Lawrence?
When healthy, there is no question that the Clemson product is one of the most destructive defenders in football. But what went wrong this past year? Was Lawrence playing through an injury? Was it just an off year? Is he trending downward?
These are all questions the Giants will need to ask themselves in the coming days as they decide what they want to do with the former first-round pick.
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