Giants To Sign DT D.J. Reader
MAY 9: Reader’s contract includes $5.25MM in guaranteed money, comprised of a $3.5MM signing bonus and his $1.75MM salary this season, per OverTheCap. He can also receive up to $1MM in per game roster bonuses in 2026, creating a cap hit of $4.5MM. That will set up what is essentially a team option for 2027, in which Reader will be owed $5.15MM in base salary and $1MM in per game roster bonuses with a $1.75MM dead cap hit if released.
MAY 5: The Giants-D.J. Reader buzz is expected to produce a deal. The sides are finalizing an agreement that will move the veteran to a fourth NFL team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.
Reader visited with the Giants days before they decided to trade Dexter Lawrence, and the parties stayed in contact in the period after the blockbuster swap. With Lawrence sent to Cincinnati for the No. 10 overall pick, Reader will have an opportunity to play a big role in New York.
Although we are past the draft — when the bulk of the signings are one-year pacts — Reader will fetch another multiyear agreement. He is signing a two-year, $12.5MM accord, veteran insider Jordan Schultz tweets. Incentives could push the value higher as well. Reader’s incentive package covers $3MM, Rapoport adds.
John Harbaugh spent four seasons coaching against Reader in the AFC North, as the Bengals rostered the run-stuffing D-lineman from 2020-23. Reader, 31, spent the past two years with the Lions. The Giants have now added Reader and fellow ex-AFC North 30-something Shelby Harris to their post-Lawrence D-tackle group since the draft. Harris, 34, signed a one-year deal worth $3MM. His contract brings $2.66MM guaranteed, per OverTheCap.
Reader (128 career starts) will be expected to be the Giants’ first-string nose tackle, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes. The contract certainly points to such a role being commandeered, as does the 10-year veteran’s body of work. This year’s D-tackle class was considered weak behind John Franklin-Myers, who benefited from both a shallow DT veteran crop and a draft not flooded with high-level options either. This landscape led to Vikings 30-something cap casualties Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave landing on their feet — with two-year deals worth $25MM and $23MM, respectively — soon after releases. The Giants’ changing DT complexion undoubtedly boosted Reader’s value.
Lawrence requested a trade and, despite a Giants attempt to keep him on a revised contract, received one days before the draft. The Giants then focused on other areas in the draft, adding a linebacker, offensive lineman, cornerback and wide receiver in the first three rounds. New York did not address its suddenly glaring DT need until Round 5, when Bobby Jamison-Travis arrived. The team used a third-round pick on DT Darius Alexander last year. He will now see vets Reader, Harris and Leki Fotu represent a quantity-based approach to replacing an All-Pro.
Tied to a two-year, $22MM Lions deal previously, Reader started all 32 games he played with the NFC North club. Pro Football Focus graded Reader 36th and 32nd, respectively, among interior D-linemen in those seasons. He logged a 53% defensive snap rate in each Detroit campaign. Although Reader displayed durability in New York, he suffered two quadricep tears while with Cincinnati. The second one came during his contract year, though it speaks to how Reader is viewed around the league he scored an $11MM-AAV deal coming off that injury.
Reader, whose first quad tear sidelined him five games into the 2020 slate, also missed seven games during the 2022 season. An MCL issue sidelined Reader that year, coming after his key contributions during Cincy’s Super Bowl LVI season. The former Texans draftee played out a four-year, $53MM Bengals contract before heading to Detroit.
The Ravens met with Reader in free agency, before they added Calais Campbell, but the veteran nose will meet up with a host of ex-Ravens under Harbaugh soon. The Giants will hope the 330-pound defender has enough gas in the tank to make an impact on a defense that ranked 31st against the run with Lawrence playing 17 games. This situation may not inspire confidence, given Lawrence’s talent level, but the Giants are bringing in some proven vets after using the Lawrence-generated pick to bolster their O-line (via Francis Mauigoa).
Giants Still “In The Mix” For DT D.J. Reader
The Giants continue to be connected to D.J. Reader. Jordan Schultz reported last week that the Giants are “very much in the mix” for the free agent defensive tackle, but the reporter does caution that the organization has some “real competition.” Jason La Canfora echoes that sentiment, noting that John Harbaugh is still expected to “lure” Reader to New York.
The veteran met with the Giants about a month ago. We heard that Reader was expected to wait until after the draft to sign with a team, allowing him to survey the defensive line landscape while also allowing his suitor to avoid the 2027 compensatory-pick formula. Notably, the Giants have added Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu to the mix, and they drafted Auburn DT Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round. Still, Schultz believes these additions won’t have any influence on Reader’s decision.
As for the unnamed competition, the only other team that’s been definitively connected to the free agent is the Ravens. Baltimore has since made a significant addition at the position in Calais Campbell. While New York’s DL additions may not have any bearing on the Reader sweepstakes, Campbell’s addition could take the Ravens out of the running. For what it’s worth, Dan Duggan of The Athletic says the Giants were never in the mix for Campbell’s services.
Reader spent the past two seasons with the Lions, starting all 32 of his appearances. He finished his first year in Detroit with three sacks, four TFLs, and eight QB hits, but those numbers dropped to zero sacks, zero TFLs, and four QB hits in 2025. The 31-year-old still earned similar PFF grades between the two years, including a 2025 showing when he ranked 32nd among 127 qualifying interior defenders. Any suitor would be hoping Reader can return to his performance from Cincinnati, where he ranked between sixth and 11th during his final three-year stretch with the organization.
The Giants needed some reinforcement at the position entering the offseason, and that need only intensified after they acquired the No. 10 pick for Dexter Lawrence. In addition to the players mentioned above, the team also has former third-round pick Darius Alexander and offseason acquisitions Sam Roberts and Marlon Tuipulotu at the position. Reader would represent an upgrade over any of the existing options, and it sounds like it’s only a matter of time before he joins the organization.
No Other Team Offered Giants First-Rounder For Dexter Lawrence; Draft Calculations Influenced Bengals’ Proposal
It is quite rare to see a team part with a top-10 pick for a veteran. While numerous examples exist of this happening throughout NFL history, only twice this century has a team knowingly traded a top-10 choice for a player leading up to a draft.
This happened in 2022, when the Broncos included their No. 9 overall pick in a package for Russell Wilson. It previously occurred in 2005, when the Raiders sent the No. 7 overall pick to the Vikings in a package for Randy Moss (the Seahawks did better with their draft choice, selecting Charles Cross 17 years after the Vikes chose wide receiver bust Troy Williamson). The Giants now have a chance to use two top-10 picks in a draft for the second time since 2022, having acquired No. 10 overall for Dexter Lawrence.
Fallout from the weekend blockbuster revealed some among the Giants were surprised by the Bengals’ offer, and The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor reports no other team offered New York a first-round pick for the All-Pro defensive tackle.
Lawrence, 28, was seeking a contract update but may have been nearly as interested in being traded out of New York. The Giants made multiple offers near the $28MM-per-year point, but the deals included more years of control. Already under contract through 2027 as part of his four-year, $90MM extension in 2023, Lawrence agreed to a one-year, $28MM re-up that pushes his Bengals control through 2028.
“When this opportunity came, I jumped at it,” Lawrence said, via O’Connor. “…I felt ease when I said I was going to be a Cincinnati Bengal. It felt good to me.”
The Bengals have displayed uncharacteristic aggressiveness here. Not known for splashy outside acquisitions, Cincinnati has now added Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook this offseason. A defense in dire need of upgrades lost Trey Hendrickson to the Ravens, and while the No. 10 overall pick represents a valuable resource — it is the highest of the seven first-round picks swapped ahead of this year’s draft — NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes Cincy pre-draft simulations did not produce optimal answers at that spot. A Bengals source informed Pelissero “10 would have been a slow death.”
Cincinnati had been tied to the likes of Caleb Downs and Mansoor Delane at No. 10; our Ely Allen mocked Downs to southwest Ohio. But Downs has also been linked to the Giants at No. 5. It is far from certain Downs falls to 10, and this trade seemingly indicates the Bengals do not believe the standout Ohio State safety will be available (it would certainly be interesting if he is, as the Giants would now be in prime position to pounce).
Defenders Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and David Bailey will almost definitely be gone by No. 10, and Rueben Bain Jr. may be as well. The Bengals felt they would be picking someone at 10 that drew a mid- or late-first-round grade internally, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds.
Giants GM Joe Schoen indicated contract talks would happen at the Combine; instead, Lawrence asked for a trade if no new deal was coming, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan and Ben Baby report. The trade ask did not leak until earlier this month, and although the Giants attempted to keep their seven-year D-line anchor, the No. 10 overall pick is a difficult offer to decline. The sides never got close on a new contract, per ESPN.
When negotiations were heading south, Lawrence’s agent prevented his client from speaking with John Harbaugh, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. This became a source of frustration for the Giants, per Schwartz, as the team made attempts to convince the dominant interior D-lineman to stay.
Lawrence’s camp approached the Giants about this issue at the 2025 Combine, Breer adds, but the team did not budge due to the precedent caving to a player with three years left on a deal would set. The sides settled on a $3MM incentive package last year.
Guarantees represented a sticking point for Lawrence and the Giants during their recent negotiations, Breer adds, and that led to Lawrence’s agent negotiating a contract with the Bengals. The Giants granted the Bengals permission to speak with Lawrence midday Saturday, Breer adds. The Giants were informed late Saturday afternoon Lawrence and the Bengals had agreed on terms, greenlighting the trade.
The Bengals reunite Lawrence with B.J. Hill, a D-tackle they acquired from the Giants (for guard Ben Bredeson) in 2021. Hill and Lawrence played together in New York for two seasons. The Bengals have loaded up at DT this offseason, adding Lawrence and Jonathan Allen to a group that included Hill and T.J. Slaton. Lawrence’s addition should help the likes of Mafe, Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart at D-end as well.
This trade guts the Giants’ DT corps. New York ranked 31st in run stoppage with Lawrence active in 17 games last season. The team discussed pairing Lawrence with ex-Bengal D.J. Reader, per Schwartz, who expects the latter to sign post-draft. Reader visited the Giants last week. While the veteran nose tackle also met with the Ravens, he is unlikely to sign until the draft wraps. That will allow for Reader to survey the D-line landscape across the league while allowing the Giants to avoid the signing affecting their 2027 compensatory formula. But Reader may not be the only addition the Giants make at D-tackle moving forward.
Last year, Burrow pushed for a Hendrickson extension on multiple occasions. The Bengals did not offer the decorated edge rusher a contract with post-Year 1 guarantees, keeping with non-Burrow/Ja’Marr Chase franchise norms. Hendrickson balked at the proposal and agreed to a one-year pay raise. Cincy also engaged in a frosty rookie-deal negotiation with Stewart. These staredowns managed to revive Bengals thriftiness labels despite the team shelling out big money to retain Chase and Tee Higgins earlier last year. Burrow frustration resurfaced late in the season, to the point trade noise emerged (before being quickly quieted).
The Bengals were never going to seriously consider trading Burrow, but the quarterback’s frustration — which is not entirely in a different place from where Carson Palmer’s issues settled — may have been at least a partial influence for this blockbuster trade. Cincy extended Higgins because of its quarterback’s push, and after Burrow did not shoot down a question about potentially playing elsewhere at some point — with a reported aim to apply pressure on the team — the AFC North team has made a few big moves to bolster a porous defense. That raises the stakes for Zac Taylor‘s eighth season in charge.
Giants Meet With DT D.J. Reader
Regardless of Dexter Lawrence‘s 2026 status, defensive tackle is on the Giants’ radar. They are still a bit light at the position, and last year’s squad ranked 31st in stopping the run.
New York is considering a veteran addition in that department, with veteran reporter Jordan Schultz indicating the team brought in D.J. Reader for a visit Monday. Reader has also visited the Ravens; the veteran D-tackle is making the rounds and expected to sign somewhere post-draft.
That timeline aligns with the compensatory deadline, with another wave of free agency beginning annually due to teams waiting until May to sign UFAs due to them not counting against their comp-pick formula for the 2027 draft. Reader played out a two-year, $22MM Lions deal. He will be looking for a fourth NFL contract, having moved from Houston to Cincinnati to Detroit during a 10-year career.
Despite Reader coming off the second quadriceps tear of his NFL career (sustained in 2023), he started every game he played for the Lions. Reader, 31, missed only two games during his two-year Detroit tenure. The 330-pound defender graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 32 overall interior D-lineman last season and slotted 36th in 2024. He checked in higher as a Bengal, with PFF grading the Clemson alum as a top-11 DT from 2021-23. That span included a Super Bowl LVI start; Reader registered a sack in that close Cincinnati loss.
Harbaugh’s former team plays the compensatory system shrewdly every year. The Ravens hoard comp picks, regularly signing veterans after the draft. Baltimore often stocked its edge-rushing corps this way, and while Harbaugh has already added several ex-Ravens (Isaiah Likely, Patrick Ricard, Jordan Stout, Ar’Darius Washington, Daniel Faalele) in an active Giants free agency period, his former team’s tactics point to more roster-building work coming after the draft.
The Giants allowed 5.3 yards per carry last season, ceding at least 220 yards in three games (against the Commanders, Eagles and Lions). Lawrence has asked for a trade, but as our Adam La Rose noted in his most recent mailbag, that likely has more to do with extension talks than a full-on desire to leave New York. That said, the Giants are not believed to be planning a raise for Lawrence after a down season. That will test the eighth-year D-tackle’s resolve. It seems doubtful this Reader visit will cause Lawrence to cave, given the latter’s status as a two-time All-Pro.
Big Blue is believed to be more open to moving Kayvon Thibodeaux than Lawrence, whom Harbaugh has labeled a core player. The Giants are not expected to deal Lawrence, but they will listen to offers. If a big proposal is accepted, the Giants will be in dire need of DT help. More than just Reader would need to be added in the event an unlikely trade commences.
Ravens Host DT D.J. Reader
6:23pm: There are other teams with interest in Reader, who is expected to sign somewhere after the draft, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports.
5:20pm: Defensive tackle D.J. Reader is among several established veterans still waiting for a contract two-plus weeks into free agency, but there is interest in the 31-year-old. Reader visited the Ravens on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network relays.
A fifth-round pick of the Texans in 2016, the run-stuffing Reader has started in 128 of 137 career appearances. After a successful four seasons in Houston, Reader inked a four-year, $53MM pact with the Bengals in 2020. Although injuries sidelined Reader for 23 games in Cincinnati, he played out the contract as a key part of its defense, including during an AFC-winning 2021 campaign.
Heading into the 2024 season, Reader left the Bengals for another nice payday in Detroit, which handed him a two-year deal worth up to $27.25MM. The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder missed two games in his first Lions season, but he totaled a career-high three sacks. Pro Football Focus rated his play a solid 39th among 132nd qualified interior defenders. Reader is now coming off his first career 17-game season, in which he started each contest, logged 28 tackles and led Lions interior defenders in snaps (583). Although Reader did not register a sack, PFF rated his performance an impressive 30th out of 134 players at his position.
In joining the Ravens, Reader could provide a quality fallback option if Nnamdi Madubuike is unavailable for some or all of 2026. Madubuike suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2 last year, and it remains unclear if he will play again. The Ravens clearly felt the two-time Pro Bowler’s absence in 2025, but even if he returns, adding Reader would improve their situation up front. There is also uncertainty surrounding Broderick Washington, who sat out all but three games as a result of an Achilles injury last season. Previewing the Ravens’ offseason in early March, PFR’s Nikhil Mehta identified Washington as a release candidate.
Beyond Madubuike and Washington, Baltimore counts Travis Jones (the recipient of a three-year, $40.5MM extension last December), John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles, CJ Okoye and David Olajiga among its options along the interior. We may find out soon if Reader will join the group.
Lions Have Not Had Contract Talks With Impending Defensive Free Agents
After securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed last year, the Lions will not qualify for the postseason in 2025. One of the reasons for the disappointing campaign is a defense that is currently in the bottom-10 in the NFL in terms of points allowed, and since the Lions have 17 defensive players eligible for unrestricted free agency in the upcoming offseason, they have a chance to reset and reconfigure.
Of course, not every defender has underperformed, and it stands to reason that Detroit will want to retain some of them. DE Al-Quadin Muhammad, for instance, has been an unexpected bright spot for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit. After re-upping with the Lions via a modest one-year pact in March, Muhammad has achieved career-highs with 58 quarterback pressures and 11 sacks, thereby setting himself up for a nice raise.
However, Muhammad will turn 31 in March. His belated breakout, journeyman status, and the fact that most of his damage has been done in subpackages will prevent his next contract from breaking the bank, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Muhammad acknowledges that he and the team have not discussed an extension, though he would understandably welcome a new deal keeping him with the Lions.
Like Muhammad and all of the Lions’ other pending FAs on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Alex Anzalone has not had in-season dialogue with Detroit brass about a new deal. The 31-year-old expressed disappointment with his contract situation over the summer, and while the Lions did not extend him, they gave him a $250K raise and added another $750K of incentives.
Anzalone has justified that minor contractual adjustment by playing in 96% of the Lions’ defensive snaps, recording 95 tackles, and proving himself as the team’s best coverage ‘backer. Birkett confirms prior reports suggesting the Lions will pursue an offseason extension for 2023 first-rounder Jack Campbell, and the team already authorized a three-year, $25.5MM deal for Derrick Barnes in March (which includes $7.5MM in 2026 guarantees). Even though most teams do not have three linebackers on notable deals, Birkett believes the Lions could make an exception for Anzalone, who says his prior dispute has not dissuaded him from remaining with the club.
After giving DE Marcus Davenport consecutive one-year contracts in the hopes that he would serve as an effective piece of their pass-rushing contingent, the Lions seem unlikely to bring him back in 2026, as Birkett suggests. Detroit appreciates Davenport’s efforts to overcome his injury woes, but he has been limited to nine games and 1.5 sacks over his two years in the Motor City.
Unlike Davenport, cornerback Amik Robertson has more than lived up to his contract, a two-year, $9.25MM deal he signed in 2024, by displaying versatility and durability over the 2024-25 campaigns. While he does not explicitly say so, Birkett implies Detroit will be interested in a new deal for Robertson, as the club will need depth and experience at the CB position.
Defensive tackles D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez are also eligible for free agency, and if the Lions have to choose between the two, Birkett thinks they will pick Lopez. Although he has played fewer snaps than Reader and fellow DTs Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams, Lopez has been the most effective of the bunch. The 28-year-old is also three years younger than Reader and, in Birkett’s view, should not cost much more than the $3.5MM he earned in 2025.
Lions DT D.J. Reader To Play In Week 2
D.J. Reader is set to make his Lions debut during Week 2. Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed on Friday that the veteran defensive tackle will be available on Sunday.
[RELATED: Lions Begin Extension Talks With Alim McNeill]
Signs pointed in that direction recently, so it comes as no surprise Reader will make his Lions debut against the Buccaneers. The 30-year-old missed considerable time during training camp while rehabbing the torn quad which ended his 2023 campaign. Reader was activated from the reserve/PUP list in late August, though, removing the need for him to miss the first month of the season with a PUP designation during roster cuts.
Reader practiced on a limited basis last week, but it came as no surprise he and the team opted for a cautious approach. The former Texan and Bengal was a full participant this week, and he is therefore in line to handle a notable workload along the defensive interior. Reader is confident he has recovered in full after a lengthy rehab process.
“Feel really good about where I’m at,” he said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Mentally, a lot tougher than I was just going through it. It’s just, it’s one of those injuries… It can really get you down and have you fighting that wall for a while… I’ve got a good group of people around me, good spirits and just been able to really work through.”
During his time in Cincinnati, Reader remained a full-time starter and served as an effective run stopper. He is expected to translate that early-down success to the Motor City while playing on a two-year contract. That pact carries a maximum value of $27.25MM, but only $7.4MM of that figure is fully guaranteed. Much of Reader’s future with the Lions beyond 2024 will thus depend on his ability to return to his previous form over the coming months as he aims to play a key role on one of the NFC’s presumed contenders.
Lions Activate DT D.J. Reader
The Lions have received a boost on the health front in advance of roster cutdowns. Defensive tackle D.J. Reader was activated from the PUP list on Sunday, the team announced. 
Reader had been rehabbing the torn quad which ended his 2023 campaign prematurely. That injury brought his Bengals tenure to a close, and it had an effect on his free agent market. The 30-year-old signed a two-year pact with Detroit which carries a maximum value of $27.25MM. Only $7.4MM is fully guaranteed, however, so Reader’s ability to return to his previous form will go a long way in determining how the team proceeds after the coming campaign.
While playing on a four-year Bengals pact, the former fifth-rounder served as a full-time starter along the team’s defensive interior. Reader generally remained healthy during his time in Cincinnati aside from a quad tear suffered in 2020. He totaled only three sacks between 2020-23, but in that span Reader notched 123 total stops and 20 quarterback hits.
Similar production will be expected in the Motor City. The Lions’ defensive efforts this offseason were mainly focused on improving in the secondary, but the team’s front seven was also upgraded with Reader’s arrival. The Clemson alum, as expected, began training camp on the active/PUP list and remaining on it throughout camp forced him to miss the preseason as well. Today’s move clears the way for him to return to practice during a brief ramp-up period in advance of Week 1, though.
Detroit – like all other teams – will have a number of key decisions to make in the coming days with rosters being reduced to 53 by Tuesday afternoon. With Reader’s status now clear, however, any consideration for a reserve/PUP designation (something which would have required a four-week absence) or for him missing the season opener amidst an uncertain health situation has now been avoided.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/24
Today’s minor transactions to wrap up this final weekend before training camps begin:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: S Jordan Toles
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Javin White
- Activated from active/NFI list: TE Gerald Everett
Denver Broncos
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Drew Sanders, S Caden Sterns, S Delarrin Turner-Yell
Detroit Lions
- Placed on active/NFI list: T Giovanni Manu
- Placed on active/PUP list: S Brian Branch, DE Marcus Davenport, DT D.J. Reader
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on active/NFI list: CB Corey Ballentine, T Caleb Jones, WR Jayden Reed
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Izaiah Gathings
- Activated from active/NFI list: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Waived (with injury designation): TE Gerrit Prince
Lions DT D.J. Reader Likely To Miss Time During Training Camp
The Lions made a considerable addition to their defensive interior during free agency with the signing of D.J. Reader. The veteran defensive tackle is continuing to recover from his second career quad tear, though, and it could very well lead to missed time once training camp opens.
Reader is expected to be sidelined when camp begins later this month, as noted by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). He adds, however, that the 30-year-old remains on track to recover in full by the start of the regular season. Having Reader available for Week 1 would be a key development for the Lions’ front seven.
The quad tear ended Reader’s fourth Bengals campaign, and it threatened his free agent stock ahead of this spring. The former fifth-rounder inked a two-year deal with Detroit worth up to $27.25MM. The pact only includes $7.4MM locked in at signing, though, and with a $4MM roster bonus due early in the 2025 league year Reader’s health and performance come the fall will be key deciding factors in his future.
During his time in Cincinnati, the Clemson product served as a full-time starter and exceled as a run defender. Reader also posted 20 quarterback hits and seven pass knockdowns, and he faces high expectations in Detroit. The Lions underwhelmed in a number of defensive categories last season, although they were second in the league against the run. The team’s defensive front will likely remain strong in that regard with Reader in the fold.
If he is not fully healthy once training camp opens, Reader will be a candidate for the active/PUP list. Player can be activated from that list at any time, and the progress he makes with respect to rehab will be worth watching closely during the summer.