When the news broke that Dexter Lawrence had requested a trade, a report surfaced that the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of several teams that had inquired about his availability with the New York Giants, and understandably so. The Jags haven't been afraid to make a trade if it helps address the larger scale roster. Moreover, defensive tackle is their biggest need ahead of the draft, so it was easy to put two and two together.
Now, one of the reasons Lawrence wants to be traded is that he wants a pay bump, even though he's set to make $20 million a deal. The issue is that he was underwhelming in 2025 and hasn't registered a sack in 22 games. That may be why the Giants have been hesitant to adjust the three-time Pro Bowl nod's contract, and why it should give Jacksonville pause.
That said, the Jaguars could simply trade for Lawrence and make him prove that he's still the dominant player he was in the past before they pay him. Heck, they did something similar with Jakobi Meyers last year. Instead of giving him an extension after landing him, he had to show his worth. When he did, he got a three-year,$60 million extension.
The team's brass could take a similar approach with Dexter. And to acquire him, an NFL analyst suggests they include a veteran defender as part of the deal.
B/R suggests the Jaguars trade Arik Armstead and a draft pick for Dexter Lawrence
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report put together several trade ideas for Dexter Lawrence and proposes the Jaguars send Arik Armstead and a second-round selection to New York in return for the 2019-first-round pick, noting that they would free up space and bolster their interior pass rush.
"Entering the final year of his contract without guaranteed money, Armstead is a cut candidate," Moton wrote. "Instead of outright releasing Armstead and saving $2.3 million pre-June 1 or $14.5 million post-June 1, Jacksonville can attempt to package the 32-year-old in a deal to acquire Lawrence."
Moton continued, "The Jaguars gave up the fewest rushing yards in 2025, but they need a boost in their interior pass rush. Armstead logged 5.5 sacks in the first 11 weeks of the previous season, but he didn't record any thereafter in a quiet finish to the campaign."
Throughout the offseason, Armstead has been dubbed a cut candidate but could also have his contract restructured. If the Jags reworked his deal, they could create more than $10 million in space. That kind of cap relief could come in handy, but Mia O'Brien of ESPN Radio stated that Jacksonville plans to keep him around and absorb his cap hit instead of kicking the can to 2027.
Having said that, including Armstead as part of a package to land Lawrence makes sense if Jacksonville plans to move on from him in 2027. As Moton said, general manager James Gldastone could use him as a trade chip.
Grade the pitch: The Jaguars trade a 2nd and Arik Armstead for Dexter Lawrence
The Jaguars will probably address the defensive line in the second round of the draft but could also accomplish the same goal if they traded for Dexter Lawrence. The difference is that they would also need to pay him. By including Arik Armstead in the deal, though, they would get a bit of space, so it wouldn't be unbearable.
Couple that with the fact that Jacksonville would be getting a proven commodity in Lawrence, and the deal makes sense. On the other hand, paying the veteran defensive tackle could prevent the team from signing tight end Brenton Strange and wide receiver Parker Washington to long-term deals. Both are entering contract years, and retaining them is one of the team's priorities.
This deal comes with several pros and not many drawbacks beyond Dexter Lawrence's contract adjustment. Of course, the Jaguars would need to make him earn that raise. Otherwise, things could quickly turn sour.
Grade: B