New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Giants' Joe Schoen Responds to Dexter Lawrence Trade Request

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Apr 14, 2026 4:32 PM ET

The New York Giants don’t play a game that counts until September, and so a lot can happen between now and then.

For general manager Joe Schoen, that includes reaching a resolution with disgruntled defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, who is sitting out the team’s voluntary offseason program and who has reportedly requested a trade because he believes he’s now underpaid at his position.

Schoen, however, doesn't seem willing to bend to either request, at least not at the moment.

“We've had good conversations with his representatives throughout the last five or six days,” Schoen said during his draft preview presser on Tuesday afternoon.

“We've all been in communication trying to find some resolution. I'll echo what Coach (John Harbaugh) said last week: we'd like for Dexter to be here and at some point we will come to a resolution, whatever that may be.”

Lawrence is in the third year of a four-year contract extension. While his contract runs for two more seasons, he no longer has any guaranteed salary remaining for either of those years.

While he has nothing to worry about regarding his roster spot–the Giants would be fools to cut him despite a shaky season last year in which Lawrence had to battle through an elbow issue that sapped much of his physical power–what Lawrence is believed to want is to be among the top-paid defensive linemen in the league.

According to Over the Cap, Lawrence’s annual APY of $22.5 million has him 12th among his peers.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles just gave defensive lineman Jordan Davis a three-year deal worth $78 million, including $64.438 million guaranteed and $38.938 million fully guaranteed, averaging $26 million per year.

That APY ties the 26-year-old Davis with Milton Williams of the Patriots for the second-highest APY among defensive interior linemen.

It’s also a rich contract for a defensive lineman who, unlike Lawrence, has yet to be voted to a Pro Bowl, which Lawrence has three times in his career, or be named All-Pro, which Lawrence has earned two second-team nods.

Schoen didn’t want to get too deep into the discussions with Lawrence and/or his representatives, but he reiterated that the conversations “have been really good” and “they've been productive, adding that Lawrence does have two more years on his contract.

Schoen also refused to say if there was a deadline regarding reaching a solution with Lawrence, but he did add that he would listen to trade offers.

“Coach (Harbaugh) said last week that everybody is tradable,” Schoen said when asked if he’ll listen to offers for Lawrence.

“That is my job as a general manager. If teams call, it's on a case-by-case basis, and the compensation may vary. And that's my job to take into consideration what that looks like, who the player is, and how that affects the roster.”

This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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