Bengals, DT Dexter Lawrence Agree To One-Year Extension
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.
Ravens Exercise WR Zay Flowers’ Fifth-Year Option
Last month, it was reported the Ravens were likely to pick up Zay Flowers‘ fifth-year option. To no surprise, Baltimore is following through on that in advance of the May 1 deadline.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports the Flowers option has indeed been exercised. Baltimore’s top receiver is now under team control through at least 2027. Flowers is due to collect $27.3MM for that year, although a long-term contract being finalized could result in a higher compensation rate.
[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
An extension has long been seen as a team priority in this case, and it will be interesting to see if an agreement can be reached in the summer. Flowers, 25, is eyeing a long-term pact and a deal not far off the value of Jaxson Smith-Njigba‘s market-resetting extension could be in store. Flowers and Smith-Njigba were selected two picks apart from each other in 2023 and they share an agent.
On the heels of winning Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, Smith-Njigba secured $42.15MM in average annual value. It would come as a surprise if Flowers were to top or match that figure, but a pact placing him among the nine wideouts earning $30MM or more per year could be a target. As Zrebiec notes, Flowers ranks 10th in the NFL in terms of yards at the WR position over the course of his three-year career.
The Boston College product has been a focal point on offense since arrival, drawing at least 108 targets every year to date. Flowers has seen his overall production increase with each passing season, and his 1,211 yards in 2025 set a new franchise record for a single campaign. The two-time Pro Bowler will be expected to remain a key presence for years to come, particularly if a long-term agreement bringing about a significant raise winds up being worked out.
Flowers and Rashod Bateman are in position to lead the way at the receiver spot in 2026. Baltimore has not re-signed DeAndre Hopkins, however, while Tylan Wallace along with tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar departed in free agency. Bringing in multiple pass-catchers over the next few days will be something to watch for in the Ravens’ case as a result. Nevertheless, Flowers is assured of at least two more years in the fold with the strong possibility of more in the event of an extension being signed.
Cowboys Will Not Negotiate Extension With George Pickens
10:55pm: The Cowboys have until July 15 to work out a multiyear deal with Pickens, but it does not appear that will happen. “We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George Pickens (play under the franchise tag),” executive vice president Stephen Jones said Wednesday (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “There won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.”
Barring a 180 from the Cowboys, Pickens is in line to become the first NFLer to play under the tag since Bengals receiver Tee Higgins did so in 2024. Pickens has yet to sign his franchise tender, though, and it is unclear if he will take part in their offseason program (per Machota). Pickens will be the fifth Cowboy to play on the tag since 2018, as DeMarcus Lawrence (2018), Dak Prescott (2020), Dalton Schultz (2022) and Tony Pollard preceded the wide receiver here.
11:24am: The Cowboys have made little progress on a long-term deal with wide receiver George Pickens, who is currently tied to a $27.3MM salary cap for the 2026 season.
“They’re nowhere with George Pickens right now,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Get Up ESPN on Wednesday. “They are not really talking about an extension. They’re not close to an extension. They are not getting a deal done at this point in time.”
Pickens, 25, arrived in Dallas last offseason via a trade with the Steelers. He put up career-highs of 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns, leading the Cowboys and ranking among the league’s top-10 receivers in each category.
With the wide receiver market eclipsing $40MM, Pickens’ production set up an inevitable franchise tag. The Cowboys have repeatedly indicated they would like to work out a long-term deal, but the four-year veteran may have an aggressive ask. Dallas could also be comfortable with the price of his franchise tag and plan to see if Pickens can recreate his production. That would set up an even more expensive franchise tag and/or multiyear extension in 2027, though any regression could perhaps lead to a cheaper deal. That still feels unlikely given Pickens’ ascendance and the ever-rising price of premium receiver talent, but it is certainly possible.
The Cowboys may also consider selecting a top wideout in this weekend’s draft to give themselves multiple options for their receiver room in the short- and long-term.
“That situation is just sitting out there,” Schefter adds. “And the Cowboys are said to really like [Arizona State wide receiver] Jordyn Tyson.”
Tyson’s stock has risen significantly since his workout in front of several teams, who are now more confident about his medical history. The Cowboys would probably have to use their first first-round pick (No. 12 overall) to get him, if he even falls that far. They have been linked to a trade into the top 10, but those reports have generally indicated that Dallas would make such a move for an elite defender, not an offensive skill player.
NFL Mailbag: Love, Cardinals, Styles, Bengals, Lawrence, Jets, QBs
To no surprise, this week's edition of the PFR Mailbag contains numerous questions related to the upcoming draft. The recent Giants-Bengals Dexter Lawrence trade is also addressed.
Kevin asks:
Where do you stand on Jeremiyah Love's value (and I suppose RB value in general)? Would the Cardinals be making a mistake by taking him at 3?
I’m usually of the mindset which prioritizes talent above all else in the draft, but it can get tricky in a situation like this. The value of adding Love – seen by many as the top prospect in the class – has to be weighed against the upside of improving in another area of the roster.
Jets Have ‘Settled On’ Arvell Reese At No. 2? Latest On 16th Pick
With the Raiders a lock to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall on Thursday, the real draft drama will begin when the Jets are on the clock at No. 2. The Jets are expected to select Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey or Ohio State linebacker/edge Arvell Reese. On the eve of the draft, there is a belief the team has “settled on Reese,” Dan Graziano of ESPN hears.
Jets reports centering on Bailey and Reese have gone back and forth in recent weeks. Reese was the favorite to go to the Jets as of April 5, but Bailey took the lead last week. It has since swung back to Reese after the Jets canceled a scheduled “30” visit with Bailey.
Asked about the Jets on Wednesday, Bailey told reporters (via Jets Videos): “It’s been good, man. They canceled my “30” visit, so I wasn’t able to get around the facility, but I had a great interaction with them at the combine and FaceTime calls.”
Bailey notched 14.5 sacks over three years at Stanford, but he matched that total during his lone season at Texas Tech in 2025. While he is considered a safer bet than Reese from a pass-rushing standpoint, the latter’s upside and versatility may be too much for the Jets to ignore. As PFR’s Sam Robinson noted, the Jaguars were in a similar situation heading into the 2022 draft. Looking for an impact pass rusher, the Jaguars went with the upside play (Travon Walker) over someone who was more productive in college (Aidan Hutchinson). Walker has turned into a good pro, but Hutchinson has been the better of the two.
In assessing Reese, a defensive coordinator told James Palmer of Bleacher Report: “It’s tough. I think his best spot is edge rusher. But he is fully athletically capable of playing inside LB. I think his disposition is more edge rusher when you talk to him. You just get that feel from him. If he had a gun to his head he’d probably say that as well. With his athletic tools and how his brain works he could be directly impactful there at edge.”
The Jets’ first-round work will continue even after they decide on Reese or Bailey. They also own the 16th overall pick, but there is “a real chance” they will trade out of that slot, Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports reports. A team in need of an offensive lineman could jump the Lions at 17 to acquire the Jets’ selection, per Pauline, who points to Pittsburgh as a possibility. For now, the Steelers are in line to pick 21st.
Depending on how aggressive the Jets are in targeting a receiver with their second pick, trading up from 16 may also be under consideration. The Jets reportedly have first-round grades on three wideouts: Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) and Denzel Boston (Washington). However, they “don’t seem as high” on Tate as they are on Tyson, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. While Tyson has a concerning injury history, he might have the most upside of any receiver in this class. Unless the Jets move up, Tyson may be out of reach.
Bengals Considered Trading No. 10 Pick For Maxx Crosby
The Bengals made a massive pre-draft move by trading the No. 10 pick in this week’s draft to the Giants for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. The deal significantly improves their defensive line, perhaps the biggest area of weakness on the roster.
Cincinnati tried to upgrade their pass rush earlier this offseason after losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency. They offered the No. 10 pick to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby, according to EssentiallySports’ Tony Pauline. However, the Bengals were unwilling to match the Ravens’ offer of two first-round picks in a deal that was eventually scuttled by a failed physical. (Ironically, Baltimore then pivoted to Hendrickson, signing him to a four-year, $112MM deal.)
Adding Crosby would have offered an instant replacement for Hendrickson, who was one of the most productive sack-getters in the league in 2023 and 2024. He posted 17.5 sacks in each year, leading the league in 2024 individually and across the two seasons in aggregate. Last year, injuries limited him to just four sacks in seven games.
Crosby has not been quite as productive in the pass rush with 32 sacks in the last three years. He is, however, a significantly better run defender, which was also a major weakness in Cincinnati last year. In fact, Crosby is arguably the league’s best edge defender against the run who has averaged 19 tackles for loss per season in his seven-year career. Last year, he posted a whopping 28 TFLs, which trailed only Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
It is unclear why the Bengals declined to beat the Ravens’ offer for Crosby. They may have had the same medical concerns and were thus unwilling to move forward with such an expensive trade. Clearly, they did not have a specific prospect they loved with the No. 10 pick; otherwise, they would not have sent it to New York for Lawrence.
Cincinnati will now have to look for edge rushers on Days 2 and 3 of the draft, unless they trade back into Round 1. With the 41st overall pick and seven selections overall, they could move into the back of the first round to secure one of their top targets.
Pats’ Kayshon Boutte Available In Trade
APRIL 22: It does appear Boutte is available. New England is seeking a third-day pick for the fourth-year wideout, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes. He and Brown’s positional overlap — as “X” receivers, primarily — may be a factor here, but if/when the Pats pull off that trade, the AFC champs’ wideout room will be crowded. Though, the Pats and Eagles are not in lockstep on Brown’s value entering draft weekend. That could delay proceedings for a while.
APRIL 21: The fourth-year wide receiver is not at the Patriots’ facility for the start of offseason workouts, Mike Vrabel confirmed Tuesday (via Schultz). While the sides have been in communication, a potential parting will be something to monitor as the draft nears.
APRIL 20: Kayshon Boutte has been a productive Patriots pass catcher for two seasons, eclipsing 500 receiving yards in each. He played a key role for New England’s 2025 AFC champion edition.
The Pats made a major adjustment at receiver last month, cutting Stefon Diggs and effectively replacing him with Romeo Doubs. Close connections to A.J. Brown have also been steady this offseason. Philadelphia trading the mercurial wideout to New England after June 1 has been a regularly rumored scenario.
Brown joining Doubs as offseason WR arrivals could lead to more changes, and the Patriots’ upcoming draft may impact holdovers as well. One season remains on both Boutte and DeMario Douglas‘ rookie contracts. Both Bill Belichick-era pickups are due for free agency in March 2027. It appears the Pats are open to moving Boutte, veteran insider Jordan Schultz notes. Boutte voiced frustration about his role in 2024 but did not generate a similar headline during a far more successful Pats season in 2025.
Around this time last year, Schultz floated Boutte’s name in trade rumors. Nothing came of it, and the former sixth-round pick tallied 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns to help Drake Maye to MVP runner-up status. Missing three games, Boutte outproduced Douglas’ 17-game output: 31 catches, 447 yards, three TDs.
Mack Hollins‘ two-year contract runs through the 2026 season, and the former Josh McDaniels Raiders charge played well (46/550/2 in 15 games) in his Patriots debut. Hollins, Douglas and Boutte would be vying for auxiliary roles if Brown is indeed Foxborough-bound. The Patriots also used a 2025 third-round pick in Kyle Williams, creating a logjam in the event Brown is indeed acquired. It would stand to reason the team would explore moving one of its young pieces before the draft, allowing for an immediate asset to come back.
Boutte, 24 in May, would stand to carry slightly more trade value compared to Douglas, who turned 25 in December. A scenario where both players remain on the roster alongside Williams and Hollins behind regulars Brown and Doubs may be difficult to envision. A Boutte trade also would further fuel speculation a Pats-Eagles summer WR swap is imminent.
Cardinals’ Coaching Staff High On RB Jeremiyah Love
Steadily mentioned as a team interested in trading down, the Cardinals are also seeing ties to Jeremiyah Love accumulate. The Notre Dame running back is a candidate to hear his name called anywhere from No. 3 to No. 7 (depending on trade maneuvers). He may not last long into that range.
The Raiders will almost definitely start the draft with Fernando Mendoza, while the Jets’ David Bailey-or-Arvell Reese decision may be skewing Reese — in what appears to be quite the close fight — at the final hour. This will leave the Cardinals with a few options at No. 3.
[RELATED: Pro Football Rumors 2026 NFL Mock Draft]
Arizona could take the edge rusher the Jets do not or pivot to an offensive lineman — perhaps Francis Mauigoa or Spencer Fano. No. 3 may be too early for Sonny Styles, but the Ohio State linebacker is not expected to escape the top eight. The decision the Cards may be wrestling with most, however, stems from either taking Love or trading down.
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has the Cards finding a trade partner (the Saints) and moving down five spots, but this may be contingent on Reese remaining on the board. The Cardinals may be staring at Bailey. While Arizona may well be intrigued by adding the Texas Tech standout to complement Josh Sweat, we have not heard much buzz there. That could be by design. But Love has entered the equation with recent reports. If the Arizona coaching staff has a significant say, that may matter; the new Cards staff is quite high on Love, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Adam La Rose’s most recent PFR mailbag debated the merits of choosing a running back this high, and Love would become an immediate weapon in a backfield housing James Conner (31 next week) and recent free agency addition Tyler Allgeier. Even if an argument can be made the Cardinals are not a running back away (and have the position covered reasonably well, with Trey Benson also in the fold), the California Post’s Vincent Bonsignore notes the combination of a GM “acting out of self-preservation” and and owner “wanting to sell tickets” points to Love being a strong consideration barring a trade-down move. The coaching staff had time to discuss Love’s fit during his recent “30” visit. The franchise has not chosen a running back in Round 1 since Beanie Wells in 2009.
GMs on hot seats do not have much incentive to trade down. Although Dave Gettleman did so in his final draft by sliding down the board (allowing the Bears to take Justin Fields) and equipping eventual successor Joe Schoen with an extra 2022 first-round pick, an exec in danger of being fired will understandably want immediate help.
Love would provide that for Monti Ossenfort, whose rebuild took a major step back in 2025 via a 3-14 season that led to Jonathan Gannon‘s ouster. As this space has discussed, the Bidwill family has given GMs long leashes previously. Steve Keim and Rod Graves were on the job 10 years apiece. Keim was also in a much better place by Year 3, while Graves did not have a three-win season on his resume at this juncture. Ossenfort may indeed need a bounce-back season to avoid a post-Year 4 firing.
Love has been closely connected to both the Titans and Giants, with the Commanders serving as the RB’s floor (at No. 7). PFR readers expect Love to end up in Nashville, though a Wednesday report indicated Tennessee may go EDGE or WR at No. 4. If the Cardinals hear a strong enough offer, they could sell the pick to Washington or another Love-seeking team. But the prospect of Love teaming with Jacoby Brissett and/or Gardner Minshew — possibly with Ty Simpson in the queue via a trade-up from No. 34 — will be considered live entering draft weekend.
OL Shane Lemieux Announces Retirement
Injuries regularly limited Shane Lemieux, who was unable to build on his rookie-year starter season as a Giant in 2020. After not seeing any game action last season, Lemieux announced (via LinkedIn) his retirement Wednesday.
Lemieux, 28, spent last season on the Seahawks’ practice squad after failing to make the Saints’ 53-man roster. New Orleans released Lemieux upon trimming its roster to 53 players last August, but he landed on the P-squad of an eventual Super Bowl-winning team a few weeks later. The 2024 Saints blocker played for Klint Kubiak and reunited with the OC in Seattle.
The Seahawks, however, placed Lemieux on their P-squad IR in October and did not remove him from that list. Lemieux technically remained a Seahawk for the rest of the season, but he was unable to contribute much. The team did not elevate him to its 53-man roster last season.
Chosen in Round 5 during Joe Judge‘s first offseason with the Giants, the Oregon alum made nine starts as a rookie. He replaced Will Hernandez after the latter landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list midseason and did not relinquish the job. Unfortunately for Lemieux, injuries slowed him henceforth.
Lemieux suffered a patellar tendon tear in Week 1 of the 2021 season; that injury sidelined him until mid-November 2022. The Giants activated Lemieux from IR in 2022 but only used him in one game (though, he did start that contest). Lemieux finished that season on IR. In 2023, Lemieux sustained groin and biceps injuries; the latter led him to IR after four games. The Saints signed Lemieux in April 2024 and used him as a four-game starter at center, with Erik McCoy hurt, after an IR activation. Lemieux started New Orleans’ final two games of the 2024 season, seeing action only at center that year.
Draft Rumors: Stukes, Allar, Seahawks, Price, Chiefs, Mauigoa, Bolts, Banks
This draft figures to produce at least three first-round safeties, with Dillon Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren following Caleb Downs off the board. Ely Allen’s PFR mock draft has Thieneman going 18th to the Vikings and McNeil-Warren heading to the Eagles at 23. A fourth safety looks to have entered the equation for Round 1, with CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz noting Arizona’s Treydan Stukes has made a push to go early on Day 2 or late on Day 1. Coaches have viewed Stukes favorably, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who views the safety as a candidate to see slot time and potentially be a first-round pick.
Blazing to a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time (third among safeties) at the Combine, Stukes intercepted seven career passes (four last season) with the Wildcats. A six-year collegian (which is certainly no longer uncommon), Stukes looks to have made noise late in the pre-draft process. The versatile DB made 11 pre-draft visits, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, who mentions meetings with the Chiefs and Seahawks. Although Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board places Stukes 48th (33 spots behind McNeil-Warren), the longtime draft expert’s final mock sends Stukes 29th to the Chiefs and leaves McNeil-Warren out of Round 1.
Here is the latest from the draft ranks:
- Francis Mauigoa‘s back issue has generated some concern. Some teams think he will need surgery to repair a herniated disk, and Graziano indicates some clubs are worried about the Miami tackle prospect’s health. A scenario in which Mauigoa — long hyped as being this class’ top O-lineman — falls behind Utah’s Spencer Fano and Penn State’s Vega Ioane is one to monitor as a result of the disk issue, per Graziano.
- The Chargers are hoping to trade down from No. 22, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, eyeing an increase to their five-pick total. Though, Popper cautions a few teams in this draft sector want to move down. This draft is not viewed as having a clear line of demarcation between talent beyond the top 15 or so, and teams eyeing drops to accumulate capital while still landing a comparable player after sliding down the board makes sense. The Bolts hold picks 22, 55, 86, 123 and 204 in this draft. If the Chargers do not move down, Popper points to Thieneman and fellow Oregon product Kenyon Sadiq as names to monitor. Ely had Sadiq going to the Panthers at No. 19 in his mock.
- As we covered Tuesday, the Seahawks have an extensive history of trading down in Round 1 under John Schneider. The two-time Super Bowl-winning GM confirmed he wants to move out of the first round, as the Seahawks hold a league-low four draft choices. Should Seattle stay at No. 32, however, Graziano connects the defending champions to Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price. It is possible Price could be there early in Round 2, depending on how far the Seahawks prefer to move down, but the Jeremiyah Love backup is viewed as this top-heavy RB class’ second-best option at the position. The Jaguars may loom as a Price suitor if he slips into Round 2.
- Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson and Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence are generating some late momentum heading into the draft, Zenitz adds. Allar’s college tape left plenty to be desired, per Zenitz, though one coach views Day 2 as an appropriate landing spot. Adam La Rose’s most recent PFR mailbag pegged LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier as this class’ No. 3 QB prospect, though it is not a lock any non-Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson options hear their names called before Day 3.
- Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks is recovering from a broken foot that required surgery. That has affected his draft stock, but ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel notes teams received a letter from Banks’ camp saying the ex-Gator will be ready for football work by early June. Banks broke his foot at the Combine; Jeremiah’s big board places him 51st.