EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants have had "productive" conversations with standout defensive lineman Dexter Lawerence's agent as they try to find a resolution following his recent trade request, general manager Joe Schoen said on Tuesday.
Schoen preempted his annual predraft news conference with an update on the Lawrence situation. The veteran defensive lineman has not been present for the start of the team's first offseason workout program under new head coach John Harbaugh.
"We've had good conversations with his representatives throughout the last five or six days," Schoen said. "Coach, [senior vice president of football operations and strategy] Dawn [Aponte], myself, we've all been in communication, trying to find some resolution.
"I'll echo what coach said last week: We'd like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we'll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be. We'll see. But conversations have been really good, they've been productive and we'll see what happens here down the road."
The Giants went through this offseason planning as if Lawrence would be in the middle of their defense. Harbaugh called him a "middle stone" at the NFL combine and raved about his dominance.
But Lawrence's contract is currently out of guaranteed money and his $20 million salary places him 10th among interior defensive linemen this season. He has also seemed beaten down in recently years by all the losing, which helped produce a subpar individual season for a player with his pedigree and résumé.
Lawrence had just 31 tackles and 0.5 sacks, the lowest totals of his career, in 17 games this past season.
The Giants' intention is to not trade Lawrence, a source told ESPN in recent weeks. But they are at least willing to listen to other teams' offers.
"I'm always going to pick up the phone," Schoen said. "So if a team calls -- maybe not to the effect that Coach [Harbaugh] said last week that everybody is tradable -- but, no, that is my job as the general manager. If teams call, you take into account it's a case-by-case basis and what the compensation may be. That's my job to take into consideration what that looks like, what the compensation looks like, who the player is, how that affects the roster and then try to make the best decision off of that."
Making a move would be difficult for the Giants given the state of their roster. They are currently thin at the defensive tackle position and have only two top-100 picks in this year's draft. It would take a substantial offer for them to move Lawrence.
The Giants did have veteran defensive tackles DJ Reader and Shelby Harris in for visits in recent weeks, and are looking to add at the position. The preference would be to add a player like Reader and Harris alongside Lawrence, not sign them as replacements.
The Giants players seem to want Lawrence to return, but they know it's part of the business.
"Business is business," fellow captain Brian Burns told ESPN in a recent interview promoting his upcoming Brian Burns Celebrity Softball Game. "I've been through it. ... How I feel technically is that we just need him in the building, regardless of whatever it is. Figure it out. Get it done. I don't want to see somebody else in that 97 besides Dex. So that's just my take on it."
Schoen said the trade request hasn't affected the way the team is approaching the draft. The Giants have the fifth overall selection in the first round, and aren't expected to take a defensive tackle in that spot. The 37th overall pick is their only other selection in the first two days of the draft.
"We're going to continue to go through our process," Schoen said. "Scouts left [Monday], so they've been here for roughly 14 days and, you know, now we're putting the final touches on the board.
"But it really hasn't affected how we're approaching the draft."
