Giants Trade Pitch Flips Dexter Lawrence for $96 Million WR

Getty A New York Giants trade proposal suggested sending defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Buffalo Bills.

Is it time for the New York Giants to make a big move under the direction of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll?

Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton seems to think so, considering he just suggested a blockbuster trade proposal for Buffalo Bills superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs on February 5. Below were the details of the hypothetical pitch that would send Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the AFC East contender for the six-time 1,000-yard WR.

• Giants get Stefon Diggs & 2024 sixth-round pick.
• Bills get Dexter Lawrence, 2024 second-round pick (No. 39) & 2024 fifth-round pick.

This bit of conjecture stems from Diggs’ comments at the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, in which the $96 million playmaker expressed uncertainty about his future in Buffalo.

The package above is a bold theory from Moton, but the NFL writer backed it up with a good deal of evidence. He went on to outline “a few reasons or motives” on why Big Blue might want to acquire Diggs in 2024.

Giants Trade Theory Reunites Brian Daboll & Stefon Diggs in New Jersey

Daboll and Diggs worked well together in northern New York with the Bills. Would that same chemistry translate over to the NYC area?

“First and foremost, the Giants desperately need help in the passing game,” Moton began after breaking down the proposal. “None of their pass-catchers finished the 2023 campaign with more than 60 receptions or four receiving touchdowns. Wideout Darius Slayton led the team in receiving yards (770).”

He added that “New York may have whiffed on its trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for tight end Darren Waller, who caught 52 passes for 552 yards and a touchdown in his first year with the Giants.” And that “quarterback Daniel Jones will go into the second term of his four-year, $160 million contract that includes $81 million in guaranteed money.”

“Assuming the Giants continue to build around Jones with the costly investment in him, they must add a high-level pass-catcher,” Moton argued. “Daboll has familiarity with Diggs from his time as the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator between 2018 and 2021. During Daboll’s tenure as a play-caller with the Bills, Diggs earned his first and only All-Pro nod in 2020.”

The Bleacher Report analyst also noted that including Lawrence allows NYG to keep their No. 6 overall pick, as well as one of their two second rounders in 2024. “Remember, Diggs’ age [of 30 years old] could knock down his trade value a notch below wideouts recently moved in blockbuster transactions,” Moton reminded.

Factor in that this could be turning into a make-or-break season for Schoen and Daboll, and there are grounds for a move of this magnitude — but should the Giants consider it?

Giants Parting Ways With Dexter Lawrence Would Be Tough Sell

Lawrence’s contributions don’t always show up on the stat sheet, but the game-wrecking lineman has become the linchpin of this NYG defense. Shipping him off at age 26 for a wide receiver that could be exiting his prime in the next year or two is quite frankly a very tough sell — even if the Giants get to keep some draft capital in the process.

Lawrence has made the Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors in both of the past two seasons. He’s also coming off a campaign in which he racked up 65 quarterback pressures and 35 defensive stops on Pro Football Focus despite receiving double-teams more often than not.

Those totals ranked seventh and tied for 13th for all interior defensive linemen. In 2022, Lawrence ranked second in the NFL in pressures behind Chris Jones with 70, and seventh in stops with 42.

The former first-round selection has also accounted for 21.0 sacks and 28 tackles for a loss on his career, and he’s not a player that’s easily replaced. It’s fair to reason that his impact could outweigh Diggs’, considering the Giants should have the opportunity to draft one of the three premier wide receiver talents in the 2024 draft at No. 6 overall (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze).