When the New York Giants signed veteran nose tackle D.J. "BBQ" Reader to a two-year, $12.5 million deal, it didn't take long for Giants fans to jump to conclusions: Big Blue traded three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, leaving a massive, 6-foot-4, 340-pound void in the center of the defensive line and Reader was coming in to take his place.
The assumption was Reader would play the same position and eat the same amount of space as their former defensive cornerstone -- classic "next man up" stuff. I'm talking about a smooth transition to keep the excitement around John Harbaugh's first offseason in North Jersey going strong... and to move on from the Big Dex nightmare as soon as possible.
Instead, the veteran offered a reality check Giants fans probably didn't love during his media availability. When reporters asked about his new role as the designated Dex successor, the 11-year veteran said:
"I’m not necessarily his replacement."D.J. Reader
Uhhh... so who's going to tell him he's technically wrong?
D.J. Reader can say he’s not replacing Dexter Lawrence but someone has to
Giants fans don't want to hear it, but the new nose tackle is technically right about not "necessarily" being his replacement. He's no Sexy Dexy. The statistical divide between their play styles is glaring. Lawrence has 30.5 sacks in 109 games in New York. Reader has notched a modest 12.5 across 137 games with the Texans, Bengals, and Lions.
He's right that he can't replicate every facet of Lawrence's game because that's simply not his brand of football. But nobody expects a carbon copy -- at least, they shouldn't.
Regardless, he's dead wrong about the expectations of his employment.
He is the replacement. He might not be the same type of player, but he’s still the guy stepping into the role. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about that. The G-Men specifically signed BBQ to be their new defensive anchor on the interior. They brought him in to eat space and snuff runs out so opposing offenses don't treat the defense like the welcome mat it has been the past couple of seasons.
The reality is semantics won't matter come Week 1. An injury to Roy Robertson-Harris means Reader is no longer just a nice-to-have veteran addition to the rotation -- he's the interior torch bearer.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old might not be the same type of player as the former franchise icon. But he'll occupy the space, eat the double teams, and command the middle. If this team expects to stay afloat this year, he has to be Dexter Lawrence's replacement, full stop.
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