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Stephen A. Smith not buying Bengals hype after Dexter Lawrence deal
TL;DR
The Cincinnati Bengals traded for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, sending the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants and signing him to a one-year, $28 million extension. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith remains skeptical about the Bengals' potential despite this move.
Key points
- Bengals traded for Dexter Lawrence
- Sent No. 10 overall pick to Giants
- Lawrence signed a one-year, $28 million extension
- Stephen A. Smith skeptical about Bengals hype
Mentioned in this story
Stephen A. Smith
Cincinnati BengalsNew York GiantsDexter Lawrence
The Cincinnati Bengals improved their defense over the weekend by trading for three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Cincinnati sent the New York Giants the No. 10 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft before signing Lawrence to a one-year, $28 million extension to keep him tied to the team for the next three seasons.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, however, isn't aboard the Bengals hype train.
Newly signed Cincinnati Bengals defense tackle Dexter Lawrence speaks in a press conference for the first time since joining the team at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Monday, April 20, 2026.
"They should be a much-improved defense, OK," Smith said on "First Take" on April 20. "But there have been expectations with this team and they've come up short. Obviously, the injury bug, any time Joe Burrow gets hurt, which seems to be often, that's something they haven't been able to seem to rectify."
He then called out head coach Zac Taylor for not having his team prepared whenever the season starts in September.
"I personally call for an investigation into his offseason activities since they ain't never ready to play come September. I stand by that," Smith said, before recognizing the Bengals started 2-0 in 2025. Their season was then derailed when Burrow injured his toe in Week 2.
Q&A
What did the Bengals give up to acquire Dexter Lawrence?
The Bengals traded the No. 10 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft to acquire Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants.
How long is Dexter Lawrence's contract with the Bengals?
Dexter Lawrence signed a one-year, $28 million extension with the Bengals, keeping him with the team for the next three seasons.
What is Stephen A. Smith's opinion on the Bengals after the Lawrence trade?
Stephen A. Smith is not convinced by the Bengals' hype despite their acquisition of Dexter Lawrence.
