The NFL draft isn’t generating much hype this year, likely due in large part to a lack of blue-chip prospects. There isn’t much potential drama for fans to chew on. Thankfully, the league has some brewing outside of the draft bubble. Star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and the New York Giants are deadlocked in a contract dispute. Lawrence wants a raise to reflect the current market for top defensive tackles ($30 million per year), and the Giants don’t feel obligated to do that since he still has two years left on his deal. As a result, the 28-year-old has asked for a trade.
Initially, New York was resistant to the idea, but after attempts at a compromise on his contract situation broke down, they’ve begun to accept this situation may not be salvageable. They have begun accepting calls about Lawrence. A resolution could happen right before the draft. Expectations are that the Giants are seeking a 1st round pick in return. Given how weak the incoming draft class is at defensive tackle, some team might be more than willing to pay it. Could the Chicago Bears be one of them?
Dexter Lawrence presents a problem for the Bears.
Are they interested? Of course. Lawrence is a rare breed. He’s a powerhouse nose tackle who is great against the run but also a dangerous interior pass rusher. Guys like that don’t grow on trees. He would instantly be the best player on the Bears’ defensive line. The issue is the price tag. SM was informed by people inside Halas Hall that they don’t see such a deal making sense for the team. It isn’t that Lawrence wouldn’t make the defense better. It is more that the capital required to secure him would hurt their chances to improve the roster elsewhere.
Giving up the 25th pick alone is a reasonable price for the Bears to play. Realistically, it will probably cost more than that. They only have seven picks in this draft and six next year. They can’t afford to keep flipping valuable draft currency for older players. Then there is the contract. As good as Dexter Lawrence is, he is a big guy who is on the back side of his prime. Handing him $30 million per year is a massive investment. The Bears have $219,000 in cap space. They would have to do some serious contract restructures to find the money, which isn’t something general manager Ryan Poles likes to do.
The harsh truth is the Bears aren’t in a position to be aggressive.
They don’t have an excess of draft capital available and must be careful about how much salary cap space they spend. Right tackle Darnell Wright and quarterback Caleb Williams have extensions coming up soon. Poles has always been focused on retaining his own players. Those two are an obvious priority. Right now, the Bears don’t have the logistics to make Lawrence work without potentially mortgaging the future. It stinks because you always want your team to make the bold move, but sometimes you have to stay disciplined.
We already saw that the Bears were not going past a certain line with Maxx Crosby. The same is true with Lawrence. Poles has always said he would make moves like this if the price made sense. Getting Montez Sweat for a 2nd round pick is one such example. That was great value for what the Bears were acquiring. He’s been well worth the price tag. Lawrence will require significantly more. Sometimes you have to do the sensible thing, even if it hurts.
