Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade this week and he isn’t the only member of the team’s defense to have his name come up in trade chatter.
Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is in the final year of his rookie deal and Giants also have Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, which has led to some thought that the Giants could move Thibodeaux to address other areas of the team. The prospect came up during head coach John Harbaugh’s press conference on the first day of the team’s offseason program and Harbaugh said he looks forward to seeing what Thibodeaux can do for the Giants without taking anything off the table.
“I think he’s a great player,” Harbaugh said, via SNY. “I’m excited about him. I was fired up to see him today. He looks great, in great shape. I’m thinking about him on the field. I’m thinking about getting him plugged into our defense and getting him rolling. You want to talk about is he a trade possibility? Everybody’s tradable. Everybody.”
It’s a similar answer to one General Manager Joe Schoen gave at the Scouting Combine in February, so the Giants likely have a price in mind for moving Thibodeaux to go with their plans for his role on defense if no one should make the right offer ahead of Week 1.
Giants Clips
Giants receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo both are expected to be ready for Week 1.
But Skattebo is closer to a return than Nabers, coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday.
Harbaugh said Skattebo could return this spring, while Nabers won’t be back until sometime in training camp and “closer to the season.”
Nabers underwent surgery to repair the torn ACL in his right knee on Oct. 28.
“He’s in the classroom; he’s lifting weights; he’s in the rehab stuff, got up and spoke, like everybody did,” Harbaugh said, via SNY. “It was great, man. He’s in great spirits. It was fun to be around him.”
Nabers made 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie and had 18 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns in 2025 before his season-ending injury in Week 4.
Skattebo is recovering from an Oct. 26 surgery to repair a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and ruptured ligament in is right leg.
He totaled 125 touches for 617 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie.
Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo was one of three players on the roster who didn’t attend the first day of voluntary offseason workouts today — and the only one whose reasons for missing the workout weren’t explained to head coach John Harbaugh.
Adebo, who signed a three–year, $54 million contract last offseason and didn’t play up to expectations, wasn’t there today, and Harbaugh said he didn’t know why.
“It’s his right. It’s his reason. Whatever his reason is, I’ll be interested to hear it. But it is what it is. It’s OK,” Harbaugh said.
Giants defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Sam Roberts were the other two players not there, but Harbaugh knew why: Lawrence has requested a trade, while Roberts is recovering from surgery.
“Sam wasn’t here because he has a surgery he can’t travel with yet. He’s got to wait for the stitches to heal,” Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh made clear he understands the rules of voluntary workouts, that players are free not to attend and don’t have to let the team know they’re not going to be there.
“There’s no excused or unexcused. It’s voluntary. Guys come or not come according to their choosing,” Harbaugh said.
Still, most players choose to attend voluntary workouts, and those who don’t usually let their coach know the reason. On the Giants, Adebo is the only player who didn’t show and hasn’t explained why.
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade this week, but Giants head coach John Harbaugh thinks the team will be able to work out a solution that keeps Lawrence on the roster.
Lawrence is looking for a new contract and his request came after initial talks with the Giants failed to result in an agreement. Lawrence has two years left on his current deal and would like a raise from the Giants or someone else that moves him closer to the top of the pay scale at the position.
The impasse led Lawrence to skip the start of the team’s offseason program on Tuesday, which was a decision head coach John Harbaugh said he saw “coming a few weeks back” and that the team will “try to work through it” with Lawrence’s agent. He also said he’s confident that everything will work out in a way that allows him to coach Lawrence this fall.
“We’ll find out,” Harbaugh said, via SNY. “I think the prospects are going to be high because we want Dexter here, I believe Dexter wants to be here. That’s a good formula, but there’s business involved.”
Lawrence is a key player on the Giants defense and his departure would be a blow to Harbaugh’s chances of immediately turning things around with his new team, but it remains to be seen if the two sides can get on the same page when it comes to finances.
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is not expected to join the Giants for the first day of their offseason program, but wide receiver Ryan Miller should be with the team.
The Giants announced on Tuesday morning that they have re-signed Miller after tendering him as an exclusive rights free agent earlier in the offseason.
Miller joined the Giants last December after being claimed off of waivers, but did not play any snaps before the end of the season. He signed with the Buccaneers after going undrafted in 2023 and played in 25 games ahead of being cut in Tampa.
Miller had 14 catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns during his time with the Bucs.
Few relationships are ever better than they are on the first day. For Giants G.M. Joe Schoen and coach John Harbaugh, the first day is fading into the rearview mirror — and the first opportunity for disagreement has arisen.
It’s been there, lurking. On Monday, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence officially made it known he has asked to be traded, after trying unsuccessfully to get a new contract.
At the Scouting Combine, there were questions. Schoen and Harbaugh did their best to not fuel the issue.
“I don’t know where this Dex stuff is coming from,” Schoen said multiple times during his Indianapolis press conferece.
At that same time, Harbaugh was effusive in his praise for Lawrence.
“He’s a cornerstone football player, not really a cornerstone,” Harbaugh said. “He’s more like the middle stone. He’s right in the middle. He’s a very big stone and he’s a very active athletic stone. So we want him in there being a big stone.”
The issue becomes a big stone that, if not handled properly, could sink the Schoen-Harbaugh partnership.
The threshold question is whether they’ll tear up the final two years of his current deal and give him a contract that reflects the NFL’s current financial realities, or whether they’ll cross their arms and say, “Honor your contract.” The deeper question is whether Schoen and Harbaugh will be on the same page as to the Sexy Dexy strategy and the implementation of it.
In past years, it would have been Scheon’s call alone. Now, with Harbaugh leveraging a direct line of reporting to ownership, the coach and G.M. are on equal footing. If anything, Harbaugh has more juice.
To date, Harbaugh has praised Schoen. The mere fact that Harbaugh’s opinion of Schoen even matters shows how dramatically the Giants’ power structure has changed. Previously, the coach of the Giants worked for the G.M. Now, it already feels like the G.M. is working for the coach.
And the Lawrence conundrum gives Harbaugh an opportunity to evaluate Schoen’s skills and abilities when it comes to finding a solution and negotiating a contract that allows the Giants to have enough cash and cap space to build a contending team.
However it plays out, Harbaugh will eventually come to a conclusion as to whether he’s comfortable with Schoen as the team’s G.M. In Denver, George Paton did enough to win the trust of Sean Payton. Schoen will have to do the same thing, one transaction at a time.
The outcome of the Lawrence situation will become a significant data point for Harbaugh. It’s a basic reality of the power and influence Harbaugh has with the team. If/when the Giants start winning more games than they lose, Harbaugh will acquire even more say.
And Harbaugh’s ultimate opinion about Schoen will be influenced, one way or another, regarding the manner in which Schoen handles the Lawrence contract.
The Giants will kick off their first offseason program with John Harbaugh at the helm on Tuesday, but four players won’t be joining the rest of the roster at the team’s facility.
The team announced that they have waived wide receiver Da’Quan Felton and three defensive backs. Patrick McMorris, T.J. Moore and Myles Purchase make up that group.
Felton and Morris both signed with the team after going undrafted in 2025, but spent the season on injured reserve.
McMorris was a 2024 Dolphins sixth-round pick who appeared in six games during his rookie season. He and Purchase were both on the Giants’ practice squad at times last season.
The Giants have a little more going on than just defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence’s trade request.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, New York has agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Lucas Patrick on a one-year contract.
Patrick, 32, spent last season with Cincinnati, appearing in six games with one start.
Having entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016, Patrick has appeared in 113 career games with 65 starts. He spent 2016-2021 with the Packers before playing for the Bears from 2022-2023. He then played for the Saints in 2024.
Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence signed his current contract three years ago. With a 2026 payout of $20 million and a 2027 compensation package of $19.5 million, Lawrence believes it’s time for a change.
As we understand it, Lawrence has tried to get one from the Giants. Their reluctance to make an offer he’d accept sparked Monday’s trade request.
The argument from Lawrence’s perspective is simple. The market has changed. The salary cap continues to spike. And Lawrence continues to be one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league.
His APY is south of $22 million. The top of the market for interior defensive linemen has reached $31.75 million. The recent contract signed by Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis — who is very good but is not Dexter Lawrence — has a new-money APY of $26 million.
So if Lawrence isn’t going to get the contract adjustment he believes he deserves from the Giants, he’ll try to get one elsewhere. And the trade request operates as an invitation for other teams to make the Giants an offer.
He still draws double teams. He still creates disruption. And the Giants may soon find out that he still will generate significant interest from other teams.
Even if no trade happens, the calls that may soon be coming to G.M. Joe Schoen could be the wakeup call that shakes a little more cash from the Giants’ coffers.
Meanwhile, time is of the essence for Lawrence. He’s 28. The window on his prime will be closing. Now is the time to get paid for the remaining years of high-end performance that he’ll be bringing to his team, whichever team that may be.
As expected, former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is garnering significant interest at the top of the draft.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Love is set to take a pre-draft visit with the Bengals on Monday after already meeting with the Titans and Giants.
Tennessee has the No. 4 overall pick and New York has the No. 5 selection. Cincinnati is at No. 10 overall and it currently appears Love could be off the board by then.
Considered one of the top prospects in this year’s class, Love rushed for 1,372 yards with 18 touchdowns and caught 27 passes for 280 yards with three TDs for Notre Dame in 2025.
He posted a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, cementing his status as one of the best incoming players in the draft.
