This is what happens when ownership refuses to pay their stars, folks.
Dexter Lawrence, the New York Giants' All-Pro defensive tackle and arguably their best defensive player, has officially requested a trade and will not participate in the team's offseason workout program that opens Tuesday. After two offseasons of failed contract negotiations, Lawrence has had enough.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, "Lawrence and the Giants have been through two off seasons attempting to negotiate a contract reflecting his value to the Giants over the last three years, but there has not been any progress, per sources."
And let me tell you something - this is classic Giants dysfunction in the post-championship era. You have an elite defensive tackle, a guy who's been All-Pro caliber, anchoring your defense, and you won't pay him what he's worth? That's ownership failing to invest in winning, plain and simple.
New head coach John Harbaugh is walking into an immediate crisis. He's supposed to open his first offseason program Tuesday, and his best defensive player won't be there. That's not how you start a new regime, but it's not Harbaugh's fault - this mess was created by failed negotiations that stretch back years.
Lawrence has two years remaining on his current deal and is scheduled to make $20 million this upcoming season. But he wants to be paid like the elite player he is, and honestly? He deserves it. The Giants are watching their championship window slam shut because they won't open the checkbook.
This is what I've been talking about for 20 years, folks - you can't win if you don't invest in your best players. The ripple effect on their defense could be catastrophic. Without Lawrence commanding double teams in the middle, the entire defensive scheme falls apart.
That's what sports is all about, folks - but not in the way Giants fans want to hear it.
