Report: Agent 'forbade' Giants' John Harbaugh from speaking to Dexter Lawrence
Agent Joel Segal reportedly "forbade" New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh from speaking with Dexter Lawrence prior to the blockbuster trade.
A new report has shed light on the tense negotiations that preceded Dexter Lawrence's departure from the New York Giants in a seismic trade. As the star nose tackle sought a new opportunity, his agent, Joel Segal, took a firm stance that reportedly limited direct communication with the team's new head coach, John Harbaugh. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports that Lawrence's camp preferred to negotiate through Giants senior vice president of football administration Dawn Aponte and senior player personnel director Chris Mara, while keeping general manager Joe Schoen involved but at a distance.
The situation grew more complicated when Segal explicitly forbade Harbaugh from speaking directly with Lawrence, a move that frustrated team officials who believed the coach's persuasive style might have helped retain the player. As the situation devolved, Lawrence’s camp (agent Joel Segal) did not want to deal with general manager Joe Schoen, but Dawn Aponte and Chris Mara, with Schoen still involved, could not broker a deal. Segal forbade Harbaugh from speaking directly with Lawrence.
That was a source of frustration. Thus, they never heard directly from Lawrence and Harbaugh’s force of personality could not be put to use. That might not have mattered, anyway.
Money talks and thus Lawrence wanted to walk. Ultimately, financial considerations outweighed any potential personal appeal, especially in the absence of Harbaugh's involvement. Lawrence was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, leaving the Giants to reconfigure their defensive line.