APRIL 23: The new Lawrence deal will pay out $11MM in base salary along with a $10MM roster bonus and $1MM in per-game roster bonuses next season, as detailed by The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. 2027 also contains an option bonus ($8.25MM) along with the same roster bonuses and a workout bonus. Lawrence is due to collect $5MM more across the next two years than he was with the Giants, and the Bengals will easily be able to move on after that span.
APRIL 19: The trade sending DT Dexter Lawrence from the Giants to the Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in this week’s draft also featured a revised contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report that Lawrence has inked a one-year, $28MM extension that will keep him under the Bengals’ control through 2028.
A report that emerged in the immediate aftermath of the trade suggested the Giants did make an effort to retain Lawrence even after the Bengals put the No. 10 pick on the table. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post corroborates that report and confirms Big Blue made offers that would have resulted in a sizable raise for Lawrence, which the 28-year-old obviously declined.
Connor Hughes of SNY.tv adds that the Giants’ proposals included an average annual value “near” $28MM, but in exchange, they wanted to add more years to Lawrence’s existing deal (which had two seasons remaining). Per Hughes, Lawrence’s camp did not even make a counteroffer, which – combined with the relatively modest terms of his Cincinnati extension – make it plain that the player simply wanted a fresh start elsewhere.
Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk passes along a full breakdown of Lawrence’s Cincinnati deal. He was due $42MM over the final two seasons of his Joe Schoen-constructed contract, and the $28MM add-on makes it a three-year, $70MM agreement. The $23.33MM average annual value places Lawrence 10th among defensive tackles, just one spot higher than he was before the trade (though he will get some near-term raises; he was previously scheduled to earn $20MM in 2026 and $22MM in 2027, but he is now due $22MM in ‘26, $25MM in ‘27, and $23MM in ‘28, as Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano summarizes).
Lawrence’s potential impact on a Cincinnati defense that has undermined the club’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs in recent seasons, together with a financial commitment that does not shoot their new acquisition particularly high up the league’s DT hierarchy, help to justify the Bengals’ uncharacteristic aggressiveness here. That said, league sources still believe the Giants did well to land the No. 10 choice.
Hughes spoke with several coaches who were “stunned” by the return. Those coaches agreed that Lawrence is a very good player but pointed to his age and conditioning as cause for concern, as well as the fact that he needs to be kept on something of a snap count to maximize his production. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan says the Giants themselves were surprised by the strength of the Bengals’ offer, and Raanan’s colleague, Jeremy Fowler, hears no one was going to top it.
Lawrence is coming off a down year – albeit one Schoen partially blamed on the elbow injury the three-time Pro Bowler sustained late in 2024 – and even though their gamble is mitigated to some degree by the nature of the extension, the Bengals are clearly banking on a return to elite form. In a statement issued after the trade became official, director of player personnel Duke Tobin made sure to thank much-maligned owner Mike Brown for greenlighting the transaction and added that he expects Lawrence to elevate the players around him (the full statement is available here, courtesy of SI’s Jay Morrison).
Lawrence is the centerpiece of an offseason defensive overhaul in the Queen City that also includes the additions of Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Kyle Dugger. The Giants, meanwhile, could consider one of the top DT prospects in the draft as a Lawrence replacement, and they now have two top-10 selections to aid in their quest for a return to contention.
If trading for Lawrence was going to come with added commitment and risk, this really isn’t bad.
Health and production are key aspects to judging the deal as well as who ends up being available at #10 in the draft. I think the giants must have a very specific draft strategy in order to make this move.
I suppose throwing darts at a board could be considered a “strategy” by some Giants executives 🙂
Nah, the Giants prize a connection to the Manning family more than anything else.
If Dexter Lawrence is worth the #10 pick in the draft the Bears should be able to get a 2nd round pick for Cole Kmet and save 11 million bucks at the same time.
No way Kmet is worth a 2. Day 3 pick maybe.
At 11 million Kmet isn’t worth that. Just your typical delusional Bears fan rambling, “we don’t have the cap space or the playing time for a guy, so clearly he’s worth a second rounder”
Teams could draft a TE just as good as Kmet and pay him less than 11 million total over 4 seasons.
Teams could draft a TE this year, get similar production, and pay him less than 11 million total over 4 years.
Like most Packer homers, you just have to repeat yourself.
Well Druuu or should I say Duhhhh. That’s kind of the point. Kmet is getting paid starter money to be a B/U while on another team he’s a starter and fairly paid at 11 million a year. Here he’s a B/U and extra TE in 12 packages which teams don’t play a lot of. Glad you’re starting to catch on to how football works. Keep up the good work! Your lessons are coming along well whoever is teaching about how the Cap works.
Why would a team give you a second rounder to solve your cap problems? Also not a packer fan at all.
Uhhh they wouldn’t be doing it to solve anyone’s Cap problems. They’d be doing it to obtain a starting caliber TE who is reasonably signed. This seems to be hard for you to comprehend. If a DT is worth the 10th pick in the draft then a Starting TE who is a year younger and keeps himself in impeccable shape should be worth a 2nd. And I never said you were a Packer fan it was somebody else. There’s nothing wrong with Kmet, He just is overpaid now as something better came along for the Bears and now he doesn’t fit the Cap anymore. He’s still a top tier TE, Just not here anymore.
@crosseyedlemon: what about throwing Jaxson Darts at a board?
I think he truly wanted out.
The Bengals got their guy and barely paying him market value. The narrative that they are cheap is lazy reporters living in the 90s still. They loved when Baltimore was sending 2 first rounders for a 30 year old beat up edge rusher but they will criticize this move. Even Baltimore had cold feet and sent him back.
@Franklin Nitty that’s great and all, and your grand-uncle Mike Brown might be a nice guy, but he’s still cheap and needs to sell the team.
How rotten is the Giants front office and ownership if it drove away their best player? This team will never turn it around. No wonder they have the 2nd worst record over the last 10+ years.
That “best player” got dumped on by a club legend last season.
The only reason the Giants get prime TV slots is cos they’re in NFC East.
That and the fact that they are in the most populous city in the country, by far.
Best player by media coverage because they like his dance. He had .5sacks and the team was bad in stopping the run.
Giants made out like bandits in this deal. They got the 10 pick for a player leaving his prime. Bengals overpaid for what Lawrence did a couple seasons ago. Desperation move to appease Burrow….
And think how good the giants can be next year with better coaching and losing that salary and getting shots at 2 really good players
I don’t think the eagles will trade AJ brown to them but they could draft Tate and Delane or McDonald and then acquire someone like Alex highsmith
No one can say who made out like bandits for a couple years. It’s all speculation… you get a draft pick … that could completely flop , you lose a proven pro bowler that could also flop …. But I’ll side with the Bengals on this deal mostly because of how he will make others better just by being on the field. In the last 5 years he’s had a 53% double team rate. Best in NFL. Sacks are not the only measure. He’s been just as effective in several other metrics.
Desperation grabbing a guy the NFL named the #17 best player in the entire league for 2025? And paying him just over 20 mill a year? You simply do not know ball kiddo.
They got Skattebo, they’ll be fine. He’ll just bulldoze the CTE out of whatever gets in their way
He just wanted out of New York or a blockbuster deal to keep him.
Peace Goodbye
Giants in a land slide … trade back, pickup assets, and take DL Peter Woods
Before a single snap is taken you are taking a winner? Get out of your emotions. You need to sit this one out buddy.
They are a winner. He’s right. Trade back and get more picks or take a guy they like it’s better for them. They need more help than an over sized DT who obviously doesn’t keep himself in the best of shape( See picture) Who was going to be a potential Cap nightmare. They’re way ahead of the game IMO. Nobody knows EXACTLY how it will turn out but the Giants need youth and Cap space and this deal adds both.
Cap nightmare? The Bengals could cut him next year and owe nothing. He played 17 games last year and PFF graded him a 75. What do you think your getting with the 10th pick? Can you guarantee Dexter Lawrence production from the 10th pick? No. The Giants get the 10th pick, the Bengals get their guy and Decter gets another year on his contract. Win-win-win. Noone knows until the 10th pick is selected and the games start in September who is going to win the trade when its all said and done.
So you’re saying that they traded the 10th pick in the draft for a 1 year rental? That’s a great business model. Are you a GM?
Uncle – One year rental? He’s signed through 2028, so unless I’ve taken a helluva nap, that’s three years, not 1. Didn’t you read how they structured his 3 year contract? This guy is going to plow the way for Murphy and/or Stewart for 3 years. He’s gonna look like GODZILLA going through Tokyo this fall. So hold onto whatever Saki you’re drinking and watch the carnage. And no I’m not a GM, but I have played and, coached for 55+ years. Can I PLEASE, PLEASE be there when you call the 6’4 342 pound man a lazy lardass.
I’m the one who said they could cut him next year and owe him nothing? I said that? I only said that in response to what YOU said in the post above. I think you’re the one who took a nap. Or more like woke up from a coma. You brought it up that they could trade the 10th pick in the draft for a guy they could walk away from next year. Maybe proof read what you type Sir! I already think it’s moronic. That would take it tom whole new level. LMAO
If this is the biggest story 4 days before the draft then I say again there are going to be a lot of wild goings on in this draft. Nobody is saying anything and holding their cards next to their chests. Probably going to get crazy. There aren’t really a bunch standouts and everybody else is lumped together. That makes for a lot of jostling for picks.
So basically you’re expecting the draft to resemble a NASCAR restrictor plate race where 32 cars wreck in turn 4…lol.
Yes Sir! Plus I think that’s a ridiculous price to pay for a 30? Year old DT and potential regression candidate. No wonder the Bengals are always chasing. Just my opinion. Could be wrong. Been known to happen on occasion. Their salary scale can be called confusing at best.
28 year old.
But I agree the draft will be very interesting.
Agreed. Cincy way overpaid. Bad franchise gonna do bad franchise stuff
In theory it may look like an over pay. But is it really? Bengals can play offense with anyone and better than most. If the defense is average then they are a Super Bowl contender…. They spent the off season adding to the defense and this helps that in a big way. 53% of the time Dex will tie up 2 people. Makes it easier on the rest. Bengals get a few years of this and lose out on a top 10 pick where likely the true blue chip guys ( difference makers ) would be gone. I love the move for both parties.
Well you gave up a pick where you could get 5 years of cheap control and instead got 2 years of a guy with a lot of miles on him who costs a ton of money so you think you won big? OK. With the 10 pick pick you could have obtained the best DT in the draft( Whoever you think it is) and kept things in order. Now you have a DT who is probably over paid for 2 years and after 2027 is going to want more and be on the dark side of 30. It’s no wonder the Bengals are lost in the desert.
I disagree. I think this is going to be a tame draft. There’s not many players worth trading up for.
I know the he was injured issue is coming up. I see he still played all 17 games. Trey H didn’t play half of the season and is older. Besides losing draft pick this is a good trade off due to Trey ‘s lack of much of a run D.
Both teams got a good deal and what they needed.
And the player
Win for everyone
Crybabies, Bengals do something unexpected and get a good player and everyone boo hoos, Bengals do nothing and everyone cries and says ” **** Mike Brown.” It’s hard to be motivated when you your team stinks for 10 years. Remember that Bengals fans? Watch this guy return to form and bust up some offensive lines. Bengals Defense is going to be something to watch this Fall.
total rebuild for Big Blue
I think they’ve been in total rebuild mode for most of the 2020s.
The only big move they really made was bringing in Brian Burns, who was still pretty young at the time.
Trading Dex is just another part of that, albeit one they didn’t want to actually do.
The man is 28, not 38. The man was on a garbage team for 7 years. If he stinks as badly as the average toilet seated general manager on here thinks he does why in the **** did the Giants try so hard to keep him? He’s 6’4 and 342 lbs and it takes 2 guys to keep him from blowing through to the QB. He’s going to have a much better outlook on a new team and playing with his best friend (BJ Hill) and knowing this team has a chance to win every game they play in. Stewart, Murphy, Slaton, Hill, Lawrence, is a pretty good defensive line in my book. Someone is going to get A LOT of sacks this year, and the QB won’t be sitting in the pocket for 15 seconds looking for a receiver. In my humble opinion this defense just took a huge step forward. Give the man a chance before all of you boo hoo about some kid they might have got in the draft, who may or may not have helped in a few years. Remember future HOF Billy Price? The Bengals got a man, not a kid, and you can see his track record in the NFL, not in college against other kids. Throw your tissues away at be happy that the Bengals are actually making the team better instead of standing pat with what they have.
You forgot to mention Johnathan Allen and Boye Mafe being part of the Bengals dline. They now can stack the front, stop the run and they will get pressure up the middle. The recent Super Bowl champs Seattle and eagles had deep dlines and DTs that took up blockers and got inside pressure on QB.