{"id":857597,"date":"2026-04-06T21:46:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/857597\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T21:46:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:46:34","slug":"vikings-suddenly-linked-to-dexter-lawrence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/857597\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Suddenly Linked to Dexter Lawrence"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"GiantsSep 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Vikings released two of their starting defensive tackles last month and may need a replacement or two in the NFL Draft<\/a>, and it just so happens that Dexter Lawrence<\/a>, who plays the same position, requested a trade from the New York Giants on Monday.<\/p>\n

The cost would be steep, though a player of Lawrence\u2019s caliber rarely becomes available in the first place.<\/p>\n

Acquiring Lawrence won\u2019t be cheap, but his next team won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n

Lawrence Would Change the Entire Equation Up Front<\/p>\n

The Lawrence trade rumor mill is officially open for business.<\/p>\n

\"Close-upA close-up view highlights the helmet worn by Dexter Lawrence before kickoff, capturing the New York Giants\u2019 branding and game-day preparation details on the field. The scene occurred on Sep 14, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; ahead of a matchup with the Steelers at MetLife Stadium, offering a focused look at equipment before action began. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

Lawrence Requests Trade<\/p>\n

The Lawrence era in New York is probably over. ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter wrote Monday<\/a>, \u201cNew York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II has requested a trade, and he will not be participating in the team\u2019s offseason workout program that begins Tuesday, league sources told ESPN. Lawrence and the Giants have been through two offseasons attempting to negotiate a contract reflecting his value to the team over the past three years, but there has not been any progress, per sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLawrence has two years remaining on his deal and is scheduled to make $20 million this upcoming season. Initially there had been optimism that, with changes in the organization, discussions could move forward. But now that they haven\u2019t, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh<\/a> will open his team\u2019s offseason program this week without one of his best players.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not outlandish to proclaim that Lawrence will have 31 NFL suitors, at least exploratorily.<\/p>\n

New Giants head coach John Harbaugh said about Lawrence in February, \u201cHow important is he? Really important. He\u2019s super, super important. He\u2019s a cornerstone football player \u2014 not really a cornerstone, more like the middle stone. He\u2019s right in the middle. He\u2019s a very big stone, and he\u2019s a very active, athletic one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, again, we have a lot of those conversations as we continue to build or, to your point, open up money Like, where can we do it? Could we do an extension with other players? What does that look like? So we\u2019re always having those conversations, not only with Dexter but on other players. And that\u2019s part of our mapping out the offseason and planning.\u201d<\/p>\n

It seems Lawrence will not be around to see the Harbaugh era get off the ground in New York. <\/p>\n

SI.com on the Vikings Would-Be Proposal<\/p>\n

Then came the theoretical trade packages. SI.com\u2018s Will Ragatz scribed<\/a>, \u201cVikings get: DT Dexter Lawrence. Giants get: 2026 second-round pick (No. 49), 2027 fifth-round pick. The biggest barrier for the Vikings is the financial side. They\u2019d have to do some serious cap maneuvering to add Lawrence\u2019s contract and give him a raise to top-of-the-market DT money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way it really works is if they end up trading Greenard in a separate deal, which would free up some cap space and also presumably get them a new second-round pick<\/a>. Lawrence may be a better fit within the Vikings\u2019 current roster construction, but the easier move would be to simply pay Greenard instead of executing two different major trades.\u201d<\/p>\n

VikingsTerritory proposed this on Twitter (X), which was immediately mocked and rebuked by Giants fans:<\/p>\n

Giants Get \u2014
No. 18
No. 82<\/p>\n

Vikings Get \u2014
Dexter Lawrence
No. 37<\/p>\n

Regardless, the idea is out there. <\/p>\n

Lawrence\u2019s Career Output<\/p>\n

Lawrence is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He\u2019s widely accepted as the best nose tackle in the NFL and might even be the best overall defensive tackle. When he requested the trade Monday, it was a big damn deal, as his placement with a new team has the capability of shifting the balance of power leaguewide.<\/p>\n

\"DexterDexter Lawrence runs out of the tunnel as the Giants take the field, energizing the home crowd before a divisional contest at MetLife Stadium. The moment came on Nov. 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; ahead of a matchup with the Commanders, capturing Lawrence\u2019s presence during pregame introductions in a high-energy setting. Mandatory Credit: Julian Leshay Guadalupe-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old has banked 30.5 sacks in 109 career games, with 103 quarterback hits, 40 tackles for loss, and 15 forced fumbles.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s his Pro Football Focus<\/a> resume since 2019:<\/p>\n

2025: 75.6<\/p>\n

2024: 89.9<\/p>\n

2023: 92.9<\/p>\n

2022: 91.6<\/p>\n

2021: 68.6<\/p>\n

2020: 79.7<\/p>\n

2019: 76.2<\/p>\n

MIN Finances<\/p>\n

As mentioned by Ragatz, money is the tricky part: the Vikings just used the last month to spend frugally in free agency, combating a cap-space crunch. Usually, teams that operate that way don\u2019t turn around and trade for Dexter Lawrences.<\/p>\n

Still, there\u2019s a chance that Minnesota planned for this \u2014 keeping the budget nimble<\/a> so that, if a player became available in the spring or summer, it could pounce.<\/p>\n

\"DexterDexter Lawrence goes through warmups on the field, preparing for game action as the Giants finalize pregame routines at MetLife Stadium. The sequence took place on Sep 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; before kickoff, showing Lawrence getting loose ahead of a regular-season contest in front of the home crowd. Mandatory Credit: Julian Leshay Guadalupe-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Lawrence\u2019s contract extension, after the eventual trade, will likely pay him around $30 million per season. In theory, Minnesota could accommodate that by firing up a three-year deal worth $90 million, making the cap hits sunset heavily in 2028 and 2029, and possibly trading outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to a new team for a 2nd-Round pick.<\/p>\n

The 2026 DL would look like this:<\/p>\n

Dallas Turner<\/a><\/p>\n

Dexter Lawrence<\/p>\n

Jalen Redmond<\/p>\n

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins<\/p>\n

Andrew Van Ginkel<\/p>\n

Not bad.<\/p>\n

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