Bengals warned of Dexter Lawrence 'automatic backfire'

It goes without saying, but there’s some big risk involved in the Cincinnati Bengals‘ trade for Dexter Lawrence.

Coughing up the 10th overall pick was a big deal. And Lawrence himself is a bit of a risk when considering things like age, injury and production.

These things aren’t major concerns, but they did get lost in the conversation in the hype of the Bengals making a franchise-altering move.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon is bringing up those points again while talking about how the NFL’s biggest offseason moves could backfire.

“Lawrence will turn 29 this season, and the big guy might be beyond his prime,” Gagnon wrote. “His raw and rate-based numbers have dropped off the last couple of seasons, and he’ll cost about $70 million over the next three years. It’s hard to imagine he’s the final puzzle piece for this team. And if he isn’t, this is an automatic backfire.”

There’s hope that some nagging injuries and much better surroundings will ensure that the move doesn’t backfire on the Bengals.

The goal is to win a title, no doubt. But the fact the Bengals made the move at all makes it pretty hard for anyone to bash it, even if it doesn’t work out. Realistically, Lawrence is a big upgrade who should help young players around him develop in ideal surroundings, as an added bonus.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals warned of Dexter Lawrence ‘automatic backfire’