Williams: Dexter Lawrence move shows Bengals finally willing to change

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.

Let's temper this a bit. It takes more than one major move – big and bold as the trade was – to say the Bengals have fully changed. It's hard to become overnight besties with change after being its archenemy for nearly six decades. But there’s really no need to think much about the next big, bold move or whether it’ll ever come.

This is about winning a Super Bowl this season. And that’s about seizing on quarterback Joe Burrow’s window. And that’s about keeping him happy and avoiding the possibility of him pulling a Carson Palmer and demanding a trade from a franchise stuck in its ways.

The Bengals now have arguably the best defensive tackle in football, a game wrecker that opposing offensive coordinators have to work overtime to come up with a plan to block. The Bengals have added two other veteran defensive linemen and a safety this offseason, actually showing they're serious about putting a competent defense on the field after lots of missed tackles and missed assignments caused Cincinnati to miss the playoffs the last three seasons.

The Bengals have been bullied up front the last few years. They were soft. Defensive tackle was the No. 1 need for the Bengals this offseason. Lawrence can disrupt the quarterback and stop the run. He seems like a good teammate, too, unlike defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who signed with Baltimore as a free agent.

There are three things that matter to contending for a Super Bowl:

1. Having a great quarterback.

2. Protecting the quarterback.

3. Disrupting and sacking the quarterback.

The Bengals definitely have No. 1 covered.

They are at least settled with their starting offensive line, and that wasn't the case going into last season. They need depth to back up aging linemen Ted Karras and Orlando Brown Jr., but should be able to find some in the draft.

Lawrence and newly signed free agents Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe should upgrade the defensive front. They should disrupt the opposing quarterback, stuff the run, draw double teams and maybe allow underachieving edge rushers Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy to become contributors.

It's a sincere effort to get better.

How about it one more time? The Bengals are willing to change.

Contact columnist Jason Williams atjwilliams@enquirer.com

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor talks about newly signed defense tackle Dexter Lawrence in a press conference at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Monday, April 20, 2026.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dexter Lawrence trade shows Bengals finally willing to change