Seeing Dexter Lawrence suit up in anything other than Giants Blue is still a tough pill to swallow. I guess that's what happens when the leader of the New York Giants locker room over the past seven years leaves for oranger pastures.
While the trade is official and we wish Dex nothing but the best in Cincinnati, some of the reactions surrounding his arrival have been a bit... eye-rolly. We all knew his new teammates would be excited to have him, but some of what’s being said is doing a little too much.
Bengals offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. is already leading the hype train. On NFL Network’s The Insiders, he had this to say about the three-time Pro Bowler:
"He's just so fit for what we are and what it means to be a Bengal."Orlando Brown
It’s a nice sentiment from a new teammate who was publicly backing the move for a while, but it does leave me wondering exactly what "being a Bengal" actually means, especially when you start playing the comparison game.
I'm not here to bash Dex -- the man is a generational talent who would upgrade any defensive line. However, claiming he’s "so fit for what they are" feels like a Mr. Fantastic-sized stretch when you look at the recent success -- or lack thereof -- of that group.
Dexter Lawrence hype in Cincinnati is already doing a little too much
The Bengals have certainly found success under quarterback Joe Burrow's guidance, making a Super Bowl run in 2021 and returning to the AFC title game the following year.
But beyond those two bright spots, the postseason results have been identical to the Giants over the last decade -- two appearances and nothing else. More importantly, the defensive side of the ball in Cincinnati has struggled mightily to do much of anything.
Over the last three seasons, they've ranked 31st, 25th, and 31st in yards allowed per game. The Giants have ranked 27th, 24th, and 28th over those same three years with Sexy Dexy on the team.
When you hear that a player like Lawrence is the perfect fit for a team that has historically struggled to stop... well, anyone, it's a (lotta) bit ironic. Lawrence clearly can't solve an entire defense's worth of problems. He's been there, done that, and failed through no fault of his own. The Bengals got a star, not a fix-all, so let's stop acting like they reinvented defense.
Dex is going to make the Bengals better. That was never in question. But acting like he just stepped into some elite defensive situation is where the hype loses me. He didn’t leave a mess to join some well-oiled machine. He essentially left one flawed defense for another.
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