DL Dexter Lawrence II April 20, 2022
Q. Dexter, what has been your early impressions of the coaching staff?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Honestly, it's just been good energy throughout the whole building. Guys are eager to get the playbook down. The coaches are pushing it on us. New install every day, so we really just focus on trying to get the morale right and continue to have fun out here.
Q. You're the third guy that's come up here and talked about the good energy. How do you describe that?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Just like players, coaches, all just coming out here just wanting to learn, wanting to get better. Whenever there's a new staff, you're never sure what's going to happen. Guys come here with good energy, good vibes, ready to learn.
Q. You just got the playbook a couple days ago. Based on what you've seen, what is different about it? Do you like what you've seen so far? Are you excited about it?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Yeah, definitely excited. Wink is a pressure guy, blitz guy. A lot of pressures and blitz in install early. Learning that can be a little bit challenging. We all are asking each other questions. That's the one thing, we're not afraid to ask questions and learn.
Q. Any insight on your position coach from Dalvin (Tomlinson)?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Yeah, yeah. Coach 'Dre (Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson) has been great. Dalvin had nothing to say. D Moa (David Moa) was actually with him for four months earlier. Guys like that have nothing but good things to say about him. His résumé kind of speaks for itself.
Q. Have you had any discussions with the Giants or has your agent said anything about your discussions on your fifth-year option?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: There's talk here and there. I'm controlling what I can control right now. That's going to handle itself. There's nothing really, I can do about that right now. It's up to whoever going to give me it or not.
Q. You want to be here long-term?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Yeah. I love the Giants. Of course (smiling).
Q. You've played well, but obviously the first three years it's been a lot of losing. You still want to be here?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: I love the Giants, yes.
Q. Do you have any kind of a different role this year?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: I mean, I'm just becoming a better leader than I was before, speaking up more, keeping the energy up, coming in every morning with a smile on my face, positive vibes. That's all I can really do right now, just try to be a leader and help everybody out.
Q. Is that something they're asking you to do?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: No. That's just something that I feel like is necessary for my role on the team.
Q. Did they ask you to report a little bigger?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: No. Just off-season. I'm not in my best shape right now. I'm just working every day to just learn the playbook really.
Q. Did the coaches come to you guys, the veterans, and say, what do you like to do? How can we craft a scheme to your strengths? Is it pretty much, here it is?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: I trust the coaches to put us all in great positions to be dominant, to win. He's teaching, Wink is putting in a defense, our coaches are putting us in positions where we feel best to dominate on defense.
Q. There hasn't been any feedback or give-and-take?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Nobody is making the team right now in the spring. We just putting in positions to be the best, I feel like.
Q. How much film have you watched from Martindale's time with the Ravens to understand the concepts?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Every day we do install, he has clips. He shows the play, how it's executed on the field. Every day we are watching some type of Ravens' film.
Q. You mentioned parts of the defense are a little challenging to learn. What in particular are the challenging parts?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: Just new. It's just new. New communication, new words that you have to learn, new positions. A lot more pressuring, things like that. It's a lot of new things that we're here for OTAs to learn.
Q. How much of a blitz-happy defense (inaudible)?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: You know, it could give me a little bit more one-on-ones, a little bit more movement. I can use my athleticism a little bit more. I mean, I'm happy about it. I just see nothing but plays being made from all over the field.
Q. Is it exciting to be a part of a new group, to start all over here again?
DEXTER LAWRENCE: I mean, in the beginning, no. You have to get comfortable, learn new names, learn new faces, learn how people are, learn moves, things like that. I mean, that's never extremely fun. These guys, the coaches, the new staff, have all been great. They've made it easier to adapt and adjust to everything.
