Dexter Lawrence: Time for Giants to Take Action

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence doesn't want to hear anything about building regarding the only NFL team he's ever played with.

No, according to the Giants defensive leader and 17th overall pick in the 2019 draft, it's high time for the team to take the next step as an annual postseason participant.

“I don’t want to talk about building. It’s more about doing at this point," he said Thursday. "Going into my fifth season, and I hate losing. I don’t want to talk about building. I want to talk about what we are doing today to get better for tomorrow, and then that day leads into the season. You all can talk about building, but our mindset is winning.”

What the Giants are doing today, or at least these days, is settling into Year 2 of the Brian Daboll era. The Giants are the only team in the NFC East to have both of their coordinators, Mike Kafka and Wink Martindale, back from last year, and the hope is that the players can play the game faster even as new wrinkles are added to the playbook.

If they can, the expectation is that the Giants, who last year finished 1-4-1 in the division, will have closed enough ground--or maybe even surpassed--the Eagles and Cowboys, who finished first and second in the division last year, respectively, to be more competitive.

“Last year, we lost to them both," Lawrence said, no doubt still feeling the sting of being swept by the Eagles three times, including the postseason.

"This season is to train day-by-day to improve. If I’m not making somebody across the ball better than me, then I messed up, and I let my team down. It’s all about just progressing each day, each day. Those days stack until you build something beautiful, and it shines on Sundays or Mondays or Thursdays, or Saturdays, or whenever they want to give us a game.”

The Giants, who finished 9-7-1 last year and with their first playoff berth since 2016, retooled this offseason and surrounded Lawrence with more talent next to and behind him. A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and Bobby Okereke were the notable free agent signings, along with first-round draft pick Deonte Banks at cornerback.

On offense, they added tight end Darren Waller and receiver Parris Campbell and drafted running back Eric Gray and receiver Jalin Hyatt for the skill position group while also adding offensive lineman John Michael Schmitz in the draft to anchor the offensive line for years to come.

According to Lawrence, the best thing is that the players are locked in to getting better, so much so that they don't seem to need daily reminders from the coaching staff to get after it.

“Dabs doesn’t really have to say anything," Lawrence said. "I think you want to dominate every team but, more importantly, the teams within the division, simply because that’s the way to the playoffs, and the playoffs give us a chance to win the Super Bowl. He doesn’t have to say much about that. I think that’s within the players.”

And if anyone is concerned about Lawrence resting on his laurels because he received a new lucrative contract this off-season, don't be.

“I am not trying to make the same mistake I made the day before. I know I am going to make them. I just want to improve," he said.

"My goal is just proving myself every day. Yes, I got paid. Hooray. It’s nothing if I don’t go prove myself, and that’s just my mindset on that,” he said.

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