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Giants having productive talks with Dexter Lawrence since his trade request, GM Joe Schoen says

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — General manager Joe Schoen said Tuesday the New York Giants have had productive talks with Dexter Lawrence’s camp since the veteran defensive tackle’s request for a trade came to light last week.

At his pre-draft news conference, Schoen said he, coach John Harbaugh and senior VP of football operations and strategy Dawn Aponte have been in communication about the situation. Harbaugh at the start of offseason workouts called the prospects high of Lawrence remaining with the team.

“We’d like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we’ll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be,” Schoen said. “We’ll see. But conversations have been really good, they’ve been productive and we’ll see what happens here down the road.”

Schoen would not say whether the first round on April 23 represented a deadline because of the chance to recoup a pick to receive immediate help if Lawrence gets traded.

“He’s under contract for two more years,” Schoen said. “We’re not going to put any deadlines on anything.”

Citing sources, NFL Network several hours later reported the sides “reached an impasse,” with the draft being an inflection point.

Lawrence, 28, is coming off a season in which he had a career-low 31 tackles and a half-sack for a defense that ranked 30th out of 32 teams in the NFL. He’s currently set to make $19.5 million this year and $20 million in 2027.

As for whether New York is entertaining offers for Lawrence, Schoen said he’s “always going to pick up the phone.”

“If teams call, you take into account it’s a case-by-case basis and what the compensation may be,” Schoen said. “That’s my job to take into consideration what that looks like, what the compensation looks like, who the player is, how that affects the roster and then try to make the best decision off of that.”

Schoen said Lawrence’s trade request has not affected preparations for the draft. The Giants have the fifth pick and a bevvy of options on what to do with it, potentially including Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs.

The uncertainty surrounding Lawrence may have an impact on free agency. The team hosted experienced defensive lineman D.J. Reader, who started all 17 games for Detroit last season on a visit Monday.

“There’s still players that are on the street that were free agents this year that are available,” Schoen said, adding guard is also a position that could still be addressed.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Even with Lawrence trade, Bengals still seeking upgrades to defense as they approach the NFL draft

Even with Saturday night's blockbuster trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, the Cincinnati Bengals will still be looking for ways to improve a defense that has struggled the past couple of seasons. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin, coach Zac Taylor and their staffs will continue to look at ways to upgrade a defense that was 31st in the league last season, including last against the run and tied for 22nd in sacks. “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," Tobin said on Sunday after Lawrence passed his physical. The only area the defense excelled in during Al Golden's first year as coordinator was missed tackles. Their 171 missed tackles was the most by any team since the statistic was first tracked in 2007.
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