Duke Tobin on Dexter Lawrence: ‘Too good to pass up’

The Cincinnati Bengals made a somewhat uncharacteristic move for the franchise and made a splashy trade with the New York Giants to acquire defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.

Compensation update: Now that he has passed his physical and the trade is official, newly-acquired DT Dexter Lawerence is signing a one-year, $28 million contract extension with the Bengals, per @WinSportsGroup

So in the end, Lawrence gets the trade he wanted while being… pic.twitter.com/GHT2HbAGah

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 19, 2026

The move should help the Bengals shore up things on the defensive side of the ball, where the franchise has struggled to complement it’s lethal offensive attack led by quarterback Joe Burrow.

“The opportunity to add a player of Dexter’s ability was too good to pass up thanks to the commitment by Mr. Brown, Katie Blackburn, Troy Blackburn, Paul Brown, and our player personnel staff,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said in a statement, via Cincy Jungle.

“Dexter fits the vision we have on our defense and will also elevate others around him. We are confident in Dexter and can’t wait to see the positive effects he and the other players we have acquired this offseason have on our football team. We are excited to turn to the draft and our remaining picks to further enhance our team.”

“We are excited to add Dexter to our team,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “He has been a dominant player in the league since he was drafted, and he will be a tremendous presence on the field and in our locker room.”

Cincinnati is hoping the trade helps the franchise end a three-year playoff drought.