Pat Leonard: John Harbaugh will send message with result of Dexter Lawrence standoff

Because John Harbaugh’s interest is now the Giants’ interest, and Harbaugh has arrived with fresh ideas on how to build a winner in New York — something no one has done with this franchise in a very long time. Harbaugh is preaching the need for his players to be accountable, to love and prioritize football and to practice harder. He doesn’t just want “relentless persistence;” he expects it.

He demands it. He is seeking full buy-in. And if anyone is not bought in, if anyone is trying to jump out of the boat and swim upstream while the rest of the Giants row forward in unison, it’s probably better off that Harbaugh weeds those issues out now.

Harbaugh also has spoken frequently in his first few months on the job about his program being a long-term and ongoing process, not just an overnight fix — even though he fully intends to try to put a field on the team in 2026 that can win. Lawrence’s trade request, then, is Harbaugh’s first opportunity to provide an example of how he is going to accomplish the goals of holding this team to a higher standard and building the roster the right way. The latest on Wednesday was that Lawrence and the Giants had “broken off” talks, per New York Daily News sources.

So this is the $20 million a year head coach’s first big test to set the tone he wants in his locker room and throughout his building. There are arguments to be made on both sides of how Harbaugh might proceed. Keeping Lawrence and giving him a raise is defensible for several reasons: The defensive tackle is one of the biggest game-wreckers in the NFL when at top form.