The New York Giants could make an aggressive move with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence amid recent trade speculation.
The New York Giants probably won't be trading defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence this offseason, but that won't stop the rumor mill from churning.
Lawrence's name has been floated in trade speculation ever since the season ended, and if you remember, he was even briefly mentioned as a potential trade candidate back at the NFL trade deadline, even if the Giants never seriously entertained it.
But after a 2025 campaign in which Lawrence registered 31 tackles, a half of a sack and eight quarterback hits, some have wondered if New York could consider jettisoning the three-time Pro Bowler for the right price.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic doesn't seem to think moving Lawrence would be the best idea, especially after watching former Giants star Leonard Williams spearhead a nasty Seattle Seahawks throughout their Super Bowl run.
In fact, Duggan actually thinks New York should sign Lawrence — who is currently under contract through 2027 — to an extension.
"I’m betting that the 28-year-old comes back motivated to reclaim his status as the most disruptive interior defensive lineman in the league," Duggan wrote. "A contract commensurate with that status would be necessary. Topping the $26 million average annual salary Milton Williams secured from the Patriots in free agency last offseason is a fair outcome."
New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images.Williams landed a four-year, $104 million deal last March, and no one would ever doubt that Lawrence is the far superior player. Heck, Williams wasn't even a full-time player with the Philadelphia Eagles before New England signed him.
"With Lawrence already signed through 2027, a two-year extension worth $56 million would give him a $28 million average annual salary in the added years," Duggan added.
Extending Lawrence would also help lower his $27 million cap hit for next season, which would, in turn, help the Giants navigate the free-agent market more effectively.
Currently, New York has $6.9 million in cap space, but it can free up a decent chunk of money by trading Kayvon Thibodeaux (which Duggan is against, I might add), cutting some players and restructuring some contracts.
Lawrence is just two seasons removed from racking up nine sacks in 12 games, and he is still relatively young. It seems hard to believe that he fell off a cliff that soon.
Perhaps the elbow injury that the Clemson product suffered toward the back end of 2024 still hampered him in 2025. There must be some sort of explanation for his production absolutely torpedoing this past season.
Whatever the case may be, Lawrence seems like a prime bounce-back candidate for 2026. The Giants would be wise to keep him happy.
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