NY Giants send out mixed signals on Dexter Lawrence trade with DJ Reader’s visit

The New York Giants are still figuring out the situation around Dexter Lawrence, who requested a trade out of the organization. Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft and upcoming season, the G-Men have now hosted veteran DJ Reader on a visit, which could be read as both a nod or a warning to Lawrence.

The Giants know they must make a decision soon on Lawrence. However, they don’t necessarily have their hands tied. A report suggests New York could keep Lawrence even without signing him to a contract extension, meaning there are alternative solutions for the two sides to settle their disagreement.

Still, the Giants have to add depth at the defensive tackle position, as Lawrence is the only certainty in the interior of the defensive front heading to the 2026 NFL season. On that note, hosting Reader on a visit could signal the Giants want to bolster the defense and even surround Lawrence with a solid veteran who can make his life easier in the trenches.

That’s one way to interpret the situation in East Rutherford. New York may be doing Lawrence a solid by showing interest in Reader. However, it can also be flipped the other way around.

Dexter Lawrence #97 of the New York Giants.

Giants may be putting Lawrence on notice

The other perspective on Reader’s visit to New York could imply the Giants are showing their teeth to Lawrence and his agents, Joel Segal and Geoff Garmhausen. Make no mistake, the G-Men want to keep Lawrence around.

See also

Dexter Lawrence’s level of play quickly surpassed his contract with NY Giants

However, they wish not to be bullied into handing the nose tackle a new contract. If that’s the route Lawrence’s camp wants to go down, then the Giants could search for a replacement. And they might have found just the right candidate in someone like Reader.

Could Reader truly replace Lawrence?

Obviously, Reader would have huge shoes to fill—and would probably not quite fit in them—but New York could choose to pull off that move if it wanted to. Sometimes, it’s not rationality that speaks, but a team and front office’s pride. That might be the case and what drives such a stance for the Giants should they actually move on from Lawrence and bring in Reader. It seems unlikely, but ego often outweighs clarity in the NFL.

If it came down entirely to common sense, the third-highest-valued franchise in the league (with a $10.1 billion valuation, per Forbes) would waste no time on such a dispute with Lawrence. Instead, it would simply improve his contract rather than offer cents on the dollar to the player that’s been the only beacon of hope for many years through dark times in East Rutherford.

Personal vendetta for Harbaugh

Moreover, there might be an added factor for John Harbaugh to show interest in Reader. The 31-year-old defensive tackle recently visited the Baltimore Ravens as well. If the Super Bowl-winning head coach wants to send a message to his former team, he could go after Reader to hurt Baltimore. Once again, everyone has their own agenda in the NFL, and those often intertwine with a franchise’s needs—for better or worse.

Lawrence vs Reader: Career stats