Less than a week before draft day, the Bengals have made a trade. Their 1st round pick, 10th overall, has been sent to the New York Giants in exchange for star DT Dexter Lawrence.
It is a blockbuster deal, the kind of trade that the Bengals very rarely make. Yet, we have long known about the team’s weakness in the defensive interior. They did go out and sign Jonathan Allen, but more was needed.
Funny enough, Hill had actually been hinting on Twitter recently that a deal might be on the horizon. But people usually take those kinds of cryptic messages with a grain of salt.
Lawrence was originally a 2019 1st round pick, being selected 17th overall by the Giants. As a NT, he lived up to the billing of becoming one of the league’s best run defenders. But unlike what you usually see with NT’s, he became a high end pass rusher as well, potential he did actually flash in college.
After many quality seasons, he took a bit of a step back this past one. Not to say he played poorly, but by his standards it was a step back. Interestingly, despite having 2 years remaining on his deal, at a cap hit of $20M and $22M, respectively, Lawrence is reportedly looking for a new deal, with some reports suggesting in the $30M range.
My primary hang up with this deal is that the Bengals traded a top 10 pick for a 28 year old. I probably would have waited to see what the board looked like before pulling the trigger on something like this. If a defensive prospect like Reuben Bain or Sonny Styles made it to 10, making the pick would have been the better option.
In any event, the sense of desperation is starting to show from the organization, as they look to get back into Super Bowl contention. After defensive struggles wasted two seasons of elite play by the offence, it is clear that they are not messing around.
Lawrence will slide right into the starting spot, and serve as a massive upgrade over what the team had previously been churning out. Allen, as well as BJ Hill, will also factor into the rotation. TJ Slaton might as well, though we’ll see if he sticks around, given that the Bengals can clear a good chunk of change by cutting him.
Featured Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)