Why Giants' Dexter Lawrence II may not want to play for John Harbaugh

Previous reports indicated that New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II's submission of a trade request this offseason was related only to his desire for a pay raise. However, that was before it was revealed on Thursday that Lawrence "does indeed want out of New York." 

Giants reporter Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News later touched upon why Lawrence may want to get away from a franchise that hired John Harbaugh as its new head coach this past winter and may be dealing with uncertainty regarding the future of general manager Joe Schoen. 

Are Dexter Lawrence II, John Harbaugh a bad fit for each other? 

"Last season’s country club workload for Lawrence from Schoen, (former head coach) Brian Daboll and the Giants’ training staff, on his way back from elbow surgery...does not bode well for an adjustment to the grueling program Harbaugh is promising," Leonard wrote. "...Harbaugh called out corner Paulson Adebo unprovoked for not showing up to the start of the Giants’ spring program, so imagine how he feels about a player like Lawrence saying out loud that he wants to be traded off the team."

Of course, it likely doesn't help matters that Lawrence wants more money than what's attached to the four-year, $90M contract extension he signed in the spring of 2023. According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Lawrence "wants to be traded" because "his desire for a new contract from the only NFL team he has ever played for resulted in talks but nothing substantial from a financial standpoint." 

That said, Leonard noted that Lawrence "is an elite player who is tired of losing" and "is not interested in rebuilding." Since being drafted by the Giants in 2019, Lawrence has participated in just two playoff games and one postseason win, both of which occurred in January 2023. Meanwhile, Harbaugh is spending portions of the offseason restructuring the Giants' roster as the undisputed czar of the club's football operations. 

Is John Harbaugh ready to move on from Dexter Lawrence II?

"Harbaugh’s 'everybody’s tradeable' comment one day after Lawrence’s trade request, in answer to a question about Kayvon Thibodeaux, was not a coincidence," Leonard added. "He values Lawrence as a player. He knows what he means to a defense and a team. He certainly knows he cannot trade Lawrence for pennies on the dollar. But he also wants players who want to be here, who are bought in, and who are committed to everything Harbaugh is preaching about working, building and showing up." 

On Thursday, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports indicated that the Giants may not trade Lawrence anytime soon if they don't receive a 2026 second-round draft pick and a 2027 first-rounder for the 28-year-old before the evening of April 24 arrives. It remains to be seen how Lawrence would react if he is still on the Giants' roster when mandatory minicamp practices get underway in June.