For anyone wondering how John Harbaugh was planning on running things as the New York Giants' head coach, I have two words for ya: No nonsense.
Tuesday marked the first day of voluntary workouts, and -- unless you've been living under a rock -- to no one's surprise, Dexter Lawrence was not in attendance. And he’s a hard man not to spot, seeing as though the defensive lineman holds an impressive 6-foot-4, 340-pound frame. It's all but impossible to miss him.
So, unless he was hiding behind a goalpost or 50, his absence made it pretty clear where this is heading. The defensive captain intentionally skipped the first day due to ongoing contract negotiation frustration. On Monday, the 28-year-old officially demanded a trade, believing that strong-arming the Giants was the only way to get more money.
And when asked if Lawrence would remain a Giant on Tuesday, Harbaugh didn't exactly sugarcoat it:
"We'll find out."Harbs on the Dex situation
John Harbaugh’s three-word answer on Dexter Lawrence says it all
Harby’s been here for, what, about a minute, and he’s already having to deal with non-football stuff. Give the guy a break. As if dragging this team out of one of the worst stretches of Giants football wasn’t enough, on Day 1 of offseason workouts... this is the focus? Dope.
And while I’m sure fans would prefer a less Harbaugh-ism response, the guy’s 63 years old and has spent the past 28 years coaching in the NFL -- it’s not his first rodeo. Sometimes less is more -- it’s amazing how powerful words can be when you use fewer of them.
It’s clear he’s not necessarily thrilled talking about the team’s best player missing on his first day of meaningful football activity. I have no doubt Harby knows this team is better with Sexy Dexy in the lineup. But it’s been less than 36 hours since the trade request went public, and with two years left on his deal, this probably isn’t getting resolved anytime soon. Why throw gasoline on the fire with an out-of-pocket comment on Day 1?
Harbaugh’s a calculated guy. He’s not going to make rash comments on a whim, but you can tell this isn't his idea of a good time. This was supposed to be a day about turning the page and looking ahead, but the 340-pound elephant in the room is dominating the headlines, which isn’t where Harbaugh, the Giants, or their fans want to be right now.