It wasn’t coming without some controversy – it never does. So, John Harbaugh, three months into his tenure as the Giants' head coach, has his first hiccup.

Dexter Lawrence, the captain and face of New York’s defense, is unhappy with his contract. Talks of a new deal have stalled, so Lawrence, on Monday, officially requested a trade.

"I’m not surprised by it," Harbaugh said as the Giants offseason program began on Tuesday. "We’ll try to work through it."

While Harbaugh added the prospects are "high" of Lawrence returning to New York, this isn’t ideal for a coach and team hellbent on ushering in a new age and culture.

Lawrence is, undeniably, among the most respected players within the Giants locker room – a reputation earned by his two All-Pro (second team) and three Pro Bowl honors. The others in that room will assuredly monitor how the Giants navigate these waters.

So, what will the Giants do? They have three options...

Nothing

The Giants, technically, have the leverage. Lawrence is under contract for the next two seasons. They don’t have to do anything to his contract if they don’t want to. They don’t have to trade him if they want him on the field. Lawrence can stay away from the offseason program and organized team activities, but once minicamp rolls around, New York can begin fining him.

Eventually, Lawrence will show up. He won’t want his contract to toll or forgo that much money by not playing. It’s no different than what the Jets did with Haason Reddick, or, going back even further, the Giants with Osi Umenyiora. The Giants are not required to adjust Lawrence’s deal or trade him if they don’t want.

This is also, obviously, the least likely scenario. Vibes are high in New York right now. The addition of a coach with Harbaugh’s stature will do that. This won’t completely derail that, but it will be a topic until a resolution is reached.

The Giants and Joe Schoen don’t have a sterling reputation when it comes to negotiating with their own. Things turned sour with Saquon Barkley, Julian Love, and Xavier McKinney, among others. Harbaugh made it clear he wants players who want to be there (and love football). Keeping someone around who’s miserable, without doing anything to change that, does no one any good.

Trade him

The Giants don’t want this, especially new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. Lawrence, when healthy and on, is among the most dominant interior defensive linemen in the NFL. The scheme functions at a far different level when he is and isn’t out there. It’s why Harbaugh sang Lawrence’s praises during his news conference, and Schoen acted oblivious at the NFL Combine to the notion they’d move him.

But Lawrence is 28. He played last season overweight and out of shape. Schoen referenced an elbow injury that wasn’t ever right as justification for his drop in production, but it’s impossible to ignore what he looked like when on the field.

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