The lines of communication are open.
At least, according to the Giants.
That is the word from the team amid the ongoing saga with the disgruntled nose tackle, Dexter Lawrence, who is seeking more money and has requested a trade.
What Giants general manager Joe Schoen on Tuesday described as “good conversations’’ with Lawrence’s camp might not be viewed that way with all concerned. The Post confirmed that negotiations have stalled and an impasse has been reached.
This is not the way Schoen characterized the discussions in a mid-afternoon pre-draft press conference.
“We’ve had good conversations with his representatives throughout the last five or six days,’’ Schoen said, noting that he, head coach John Harbaugh and Dawn Aponte — the new senior vice president of football operations and strategy — have all been involved in the talks with Lawrence’s agency, led by Joel Segal.
“Trying to find some resolution,’’ Schoen said. “I’ll echo what coach [Harbaugh] said last week, we’d like Dexter to be here and at some point we’ll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be, we’ll see. Conversations have been really good, they’ve been productive and we’ll see what happens here down the road.’’
The road might be blocked.
A player asking to be traded can mean different things. Sometimes, the player simply wants out. Sometimes, the player is dissatisfied with his contract and a trade request is announced to try to shake things up and jump-start negotiations. A trade request also alerts other teams around the NFL that the player might be available, leading to calls of inquiry. It is not yet fully known what Lawrence’s end-game is but it is clear he does not want to return to the Giants – the franchise that made him a first round pick in 2019 – under his current financial reality.
News of this impasse could spark increased trade talk and that is advantageous for a player who wants to shake things up.
The NFL Draft arrives April 23 and it stands to reason that if an agreement on a new contract cannot be found, any potential trade would include 2026 draft picks.
“I’m not gonna get into if there’s a deadline or not,’’ Schoen said. “He’s under contract for two more years so we’re not going to put any deadlines on anything. Right now productive conversations and we’ll see where it goes.’’
Lawrence, 28, is only halfway through the four-year, $90 million contract extension he signed in May of 2023. That deal included $60 million in guaranteed money and every dollar of that has already been paid out to Lawrence. That is one of the reasons he wants to renegotiate – to get additional guarantees moving forward. When he signed the extension, Lawrence became the third highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Currently, he is 12th and that situation needs to be rectified, in Lawrence’s view. The trade request was initiated to get the Giants’ attention.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Giants prior to the 2025 season added $3 million in incentives to Lawrence’s deal but he was not as productive on the field as he was in years’ past, which resulted in him earning only $1 million of the incentives.
Lawrence has been a no-show at the offseason workout program that opened up last week. The program is voluntary, meaning Lawence cannot be fined for his absence. Once the mandatory segments of the offseason work arrive, Lawrence would be fined $50,000 for each day he does not show up
It remains to be seen how news of an impasse affects the relationship between Lawrence and the Giants. It could lead to teams checking in with the Giants to determine what compensation might be needed to make a deal. The Giants will not give away Lawrence – considered to be one of their centerpieces on defense – and will no doubt seek a high draft pick this year and perhaps a player, in return. The interior of the defensive line is not a strength of the roster and losing Lawrence would create a void.
“I’m always going to pick up the phone so if a team calls .. that is my job as a general manager,’’ Schoen said. “It’s case to case basis and what the compensation may be, that’s my job to take into consideration what that looks like, who the player is, how that affects the roster and then try to make the best decision off of that.’’
Lawrence is coming off a down 2025 season and that is one reason why the Giants are hesitant to steer a great deal more money Lawrence’s way. An impasse means no progress is possible. Time will tell on that one.
