The New York Giants are entering a new era under new head coach John Harbaugh, and the new leadership is already showing that they are not afraid to take some big swings. On Saturday, in the midst of a contract dispute, the Giants traded star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick, and Lawrence was given a new contract extension.
The Giants also have a crowded defensive end room, which made Kayvon Thibodeaux a popular trade candidate coming into this offseason. The former top-10 pick is the third edge rusher behind Abdul Carter and Brian Burns, and the Giants seemingly could get some draft capital back for him.
However, the Lawrence trade has made it less likely that the Giants will also let go of Thibodeaux, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
“The Giants, who had gotten trade calls centered around edge Kayvon Thibodeaux for the last few months, are now considered less likely to trade him following the blockbuster deal sending Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals, sources say,” Rapoport reported.
While the Giants could get some draft picks back for Thibodeaux, having depth at edge rusher is still a sound approach and is a big reason why the Seattle Seahawks were so formidable during their Super Bowl run last season. Holding onto him, especially after losing a talent like Lawrence inside, makes a lot of sense.
Thibodeaux hasn’t lived up to the billing as a former top-five pick during his four seasons in the NFL, but he is still a solid edge player who has an 11.5-sack season under his belt back in 2023. However, he has struggled with some injuries over the last two years, recording just eight sacks in 22 games during that time.
In front of him, Burns and an emerging Carter project as one of the best pass-rush duos in all of football next season, so it remains to be seen how much work Thibodeaux gets on passing downs if he does stick around. If not, the Giants can use the resources in a trade for him to improve elsewhere.
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