The New York Giants are brewing something new in Dexter Lawrence's laboratory.
Lawrence is one of the undeniable staples of the Giants' defense and was perhaps always destined for such a status considering he was one of the eventual yields of the pick-gaining Odell Beckham Jr. trade.
The Giants certainly won't mind: Lawrence was major capital as is and the sixth-year defensive tackle has lofty aspirations to live up to.
"It could be. I've just got to keep working, working on my weaknesses and getting better with my strengths," Lawrence said when asked about the retirement of Los Angeles Rams legend Aaron Donald.
"It took me by surprise, honestly. Look, 10 years is a long time, but you know you expect more things like that, but he left the game on top. A lot of respect to him for what he brought. There probably won't be another one of him."
Even if Lawrence falls short of Donald's skyscraper-sized standards, he has certainly turned himself into a metropolitan silver lining in the meantime. The Clemson alum has been invited to the last two editions of the Pro Bowl Games and even earned fringe consideration for last season's Defensive Player of the Year Award.
With a reliable rock on the front seven, the Giants sought to add more over the winter. The main piece was trade acquisition and former Carolina Panther Brian Burns while the team later added defensive backs Tyler Nubin and Andru Phillips in the middle rounds of the draft. Now overseeing the operation is Shane Bowen, who held the same role in Tennessee over the last three seasons.
Speaking after the Giants got through one of their organized team activities this week, Lawrence had a positive report on the changes to date, praising Bowen's scheme and revamped terminology as matchups against offensive juggernauts like Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, and Philadelphia await on the 2024 docket.
"It's smooth. The first couple weeks (were) a little rough, but right now I think practice has been flowing a lot better for us," Lawrence said on the transition. "Everybody is just overcommunicating, which helps a lot. We're all learning different things, different things to look for before you get lined up."
Further transition will be required on the field, as Burns stated that he would "have a plan" for a Lawrence collaboration when the time was right. The partnership is working well so far if one-half's word is to be believed.
"I think it's smoothing out now towards the end," Lawrence said of the offseason chemistry developed with Burns. "We are two smart players playing beside each other. We work along well with each other over there. I like him a lot. He brings a different dynamic to the line."
