Giants sign veteran DT in attempt to fill Dexter Lawrence II-sized hole

Of course, Reader isn't alone in the defensive tackle room. His addition follows the signing of defensive tackle Shelby Harris, who agreed to a one-year deal worth $3M. The former Cleveland Brown will likely join Reader in a rotation at nose tackle, or play together on early downs to stuff runs coming through the inside gaps. 

Last season, Reader recorded 28 tackles overall and started all 17 games with the Detroit Lions. Throughout his career, Reader has 12.5 sacks and 296 total tackles. He may not get any All-Pro votes, but the Giants need someone dependable and solid to fill the interior of their remade defense line. 

Why filling the void Dexter Lawrence II leaves is nearly impossible  

The Giants would have rather kept Lawrence II in New York, but neither side was willing to budge when the All-Pro D-lineman asked for a bigger contract. According to reports, negotiations got so bad that Lawrence refused to talk to Giants general manager Joe Schoen. 

As negotiations worsened, the Giants decided to seek a trade instead of prolonging negotiations into the summer. Lucky for New York, the Bengals were willing to trade their 10th overall pick in this year's Draft for Lawrence. 

For now, the trade can be viewed as a win-win. The Bengals got an All-Pro to shore up their defense while they still have quarterback Joe Burrow in his prime, and the Giants got tremendous value for a contract negotiation gone wrong. 

Still, only time will tell how well this works out for the Giants. The team selected offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the 10th pick, and while he has All-Pro potential, he's just a rookie. Even in a year coming off injury, Lawrence was still one of the team's best players.

Last season, Lawrence recorded 30 tackles and just a half-sack, but in his seven-year career, he's recorded 312 tackles and 30.5 sacks. These numbers outshine Reader, and Lawrence is 28 years old. 

The Giants will have to hope that, with better coaching and more depth, they can still improve their defense. But without Lawrence, they've lost a foundational player whom head coach John Harbaugh didn't anticipate losing so soon.