'A once in a lifetime player.' Bengals react to Dexter Lawrence
If the Bengals wanted to send a message to their players with the trade for Dexter Lawrence, it sounded in the locker room like they achieved that.
If part of the intent behind the Cincinnati Bengals' move to acquire defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was to send a signal of winning intent to the rest of the roster, they achieved that and then some. Lawrence, a three-time Pro Bowl interior defensive lineman, was introduced as a Bengals player to media members April 20 at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals on April 18 traded away their No.
10 overall 2026 NFL Draft pick to acquire Lawrence from the New York Giants, and it's safe to say the rest of the locker room took notice. In fact, the entirety of Paycor Stadium, where the Bengals' offices across the organization are located, took notice. Many around the league took notice, for that matter.
The Bengals bucked decades of front-office tendencies to flip the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for an established, veteran player. What the 28-year-old Lawrence's arrival means is unmistakable in the eyes of other Bengals players. "This time around, they’re (the front office) just showing everybody that they’re not holding back," Bengals second-year linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.
said. "They’re just being very calculated with their strikes, so it’s very − they’re playing chess. They’re not players checkers ...
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