The Deal For Dex: Lightning And Labor As Bengals Shake Up NFL Draft First Round
Brown, along with his fellow point man in free agency, assistant general manager Steven Radicevic, also spent weeks sending out trade feelers for dominant defenders such as Lawrence. Even as they signed four new starters or regulars in free agency last month (and watched the Ravens almost deal for one of those prime defenders they were monitoring in Maxx Crosby), they kept going to the phones.
Dexter Lawrence trade grades: Giants trade defensive tackle to Bengals for No. 10 overall pick
This move is pretty un-Bengals-like. This franchise is famous for waiting too long to pay star players, like defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Cincy watched him put up back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons, and still didn’t want to commit to him. Now, they trade a top 10 pick for a defensive tackle coming off his worst NFL season, and start working on giving him a massive raise? Yes, Lawrence is a bit younger than Hendrickson at 28-years-old, but still, surprising.
Inside the improbable Giants-Bengals Dexter Lawrence trade
Talks with the Bengals started almost two weeks ago, sources with knowledge of the trade said. That was the first inkling that another top-10 pick could be within reach for the Giants in return for the dominant defensive tackle who has commanded the highest double-team rate on pass rushes (72.7%) over the past three years. Still, the Giants thought it was possible they could reach a resolution with Lawrence, who requested a trade on April 6, and tried to keep their longest-tenured player in New York.
Insider Reveals Dexter Lawrence’s Reaction to Bengals Blockbuster Trade
“The opportunity to add a player of Dexter’s ability was too good to pass up thanks to the commitment by Mr. Brown, Katie Blackburn, Troy Blackburn, Paul Brown and our player personnel staff,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said in a statement. “Dexter fits the vision we have on our defense and will also elevate others around him. We are confident in Dexter and can’t wait to see the positive effects he and the other players we have acquired this offseason have on our football team. We are excited to turn to the draft and our remaining picks to further enhance our team.”
