Lawrence Guy

Bengals Release Lawrence Guy; Team Looking Into DT Addition

November 5th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 5: A hour before the trade deadline, the Bengals are getting the hang of this buyer’s mindset. Before acquiring Khalil Herbert on Tuesday morning, the Bengals had added just one player via trade in season over the past 50 years. Now 4-5, Cincinnati is on the hunt for defensive tackle help, Russini adds. Injuries have been an issue here this season, and the Bengals’ defense has certainly underwhelmed on the whole.

NOVEMBER 2: Lawrence Guy landed a deal with the Bengals shortly after the start of the regular season. His Cincinnati deal allowed him to make four appearances with the team, but the veteran defensive lineman is now once again headed for free agency.

Guy was released on Saturday, the Bengals announced. That move makes him a free agent, meaning he could find a new opportunity in short order. Failing that, the 34-year-old will be a candidate to be retained on a practice squad pact. Guy saw his seven-year Patriots tenure end this offseason, and his Bengals pact came about shortly after he explored a Ravens reunion with a free agent visit. In a corresponding move, undrafted rookie running back Kendall Milton was signed from the taxi squad to the active roster.

Aside from Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals have struggled to find production along the edge. Guy was limited to a a pair of tackles with Cincinnati, a team which does not have a track record of being active at the trade deadline. That could change in the near future, though, especially if help on defense can be obtained for the right price. The 3-5 Bengals face a steep path to the postseason, but a buyer’s stance would not come as a complete surprise.

Cincinnati has looked into a trade addition in advance of the November 5 deadline, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). She adds the defensive line and cornerback spots in particular are targets for improving a unit which sits 23rd in points allowed per game. The Bengals rank outside the top 20 in the league against both the run and pass this year, and their 12 sacks leave plenty of room for increased production along the edge.

Hendrickson’s Bengals future beyond 2024 is uncertain given his contract status and the trade request which was denied by the team this spring in the wake of no adjustment or extension being negotiated. For the time being, however, the three-time Pro Bowler – who has seven sacks on the year – is very much in the fold and he will play a central role if Cincinnati is to make a second half playoff push. Adding a starting-caliber edge presence (like Azeez Ojulari of the Giants, whom Russini adds the Bengals have on their radar) would boost the pass rush. Veterans Za’Darius Smith (Browns) and Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers) have also been floated as trade candidates in recent weeks.

Dax Hill‘s ACL tear ended his 2024 season, the first in which he was being used as a full-time perimeter corner. His absence has created a vacancy alongside Cam Taylor-Britt and Mike Hilton for a starting option. Bringing in a cover man capable of immediately taking on first-team duties for a rental price is unlikely, but adding a depth contributor in the secondary would give DC Lou Anarumo another option in the wake of Hill’s injury.

The Bengals enter Week 9 with just under $9MM in cap space, so a midseason addition is certainly feasible from a financial perspective. Whether or not the team makes the rare move of swinging a trade will be an interesting storyline to follow over the coming days.

Bengals To Sign DL Lawrence Guy

September 17th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Lawrence Guy‘s effort to return to the NFL included workouts with two AFC North teams. After auditioning for the Ravens — one of his former squads — Guy participated in a Bengals showcase today. The latter effort will produce a deal.

The Bengals are signing Guy to their 53-man roster, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will put Guy on a path toward a 13th NFL season, giving Cincinnati some experience as it attempts to crawl out of another 0-2 hole. Guy’s presence will undoubtedly be aimed at helping against the run, where the Bengals rank 26th.

Entering the NFL as a seventh-round Packers pick, Guy has now been in the league for 14 seasons. Though, he did not see any action as a rookie. Guy, 34, still went on to become a mainstay in Baltimore and New England. The Ravens met with their former D-line contributor a few weeks back but did not sign him. This opened the door for Guy to join a sixth NFL team.

This signing comes shortly after both Bengals starting D-tackles — B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins — sustained hamstring injuries against the Chiefs. Cincinnati also let high-end nose tackle D.J. Reader walk in free agency; Reader joined the Lions, making his debut with his new team in Week 2. The Bengals worked out both Guy and Albert Huggins today, per Pelissero, but will add the more experienced piece.

Guy lasted seven seasons in New England, starting for the team’s Super Bowl LII and LIII teams and remaining in place as a central Pats cog through Bill Belichick‘s final season. Although de facto GM Eliot Wolf valued many Belichick pieces considerably well this offseason via re-signings and extensions, Guy joined Adrian Phillips as mid-February cap casualties. The 315-pound D-lineman had signed two four-year deals with the Patriots, being a core Belichick player but one deemed expendable as Jerod Mayo took the reins.

The Pats gave Guy 102 starts from 2017-23. Not known as a pressure artist inside, Guy did accumulate 10.5 regular-season sacks as a Patriot and dropped Blake Bortles in New England’s comeback win over Jacksonville in the 2017 AFC championship game. Guy spent two-plus years in Baltimore prior to that 2017 New England signing, and he will return to the AFC North to help a Bengals team in need.

No IR moves involving Hill or Rankins have come to pass yet, but the Bengals did waive defensive end K.J. Henry from their active roster to clear a spot for Guy, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Jay Morrison tweets. Cincy had claimed Henry, a 2023 fifth-round pick, off waivers from Washington. Rather than go through with the increasingly common practice squad ramp-up route, the Bengals intend to put Guy to work immediately as they attempt their latest turnaround effort.

Ravens Host DL Lawrence Guy

September 2nd, 2024 at 4:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Lawrence Guy spent the past seven seasons in New England, but he was not among the many Patriots defenders who landed a new contract this offseason. The veteran defensive lineman could find himself in place with one of his other former teams soon, though.

Guy recently visited the Ravens, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The 34-year-old played 43 games with Baltimore from 2014-16 , logging 17 starts during that stretch. Guy’s most recent Ravens deal was for two years; upon playing it out, he secured a four-year contract with the Patriots. That was followed by another four-year accord, but he was released in a cost-shedding move with one year remaining.

Guy had not taken any known visits before auditioning for the Ravens. The former seventh-rounder’s playing time in Baltimore overlapped entirely with that of Zach Orr, who is now the team’s defensive coordinator. Orr was promoted as Mike Macdonald‘s replacement this offseason, and 2024 will mark his first time as a coordinator at the college or NFL levels. Guy would represent a familiar face up front for Orr.

The Ravens carried over their entire defensive line from 2023 this offseason, a unit which will again be led by Justin Madubuike. The former third-rounder shattered his previous career highs across the board last year, earning himself the franchise tag and eventually a $24.5MM-per-year extension. Michael Pierce, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and Brent Urban are also in place along the D-line.

Guy started all but seven of his 110 Patriots appearances, handling a steady workload along the way. The former seventh-rounder remained consistent against the run and occasionally chipped in as a pass rusher. Guy’s best season in terms of sack production (4.5) came during his first full Ravens season. A Baltimore reunion would not include expectations for a repeat of that mark, but it could allow him to log a depth role and set himself up for another free agent deal next spring.

Patriots To Release DL Lawrence Guy, S Adrian Phillips

February 19th, 2024 at 3:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cost-cutting season is in full swing around the NFL. New England is letting go of defensive lineman Lawrence Guy and safety Adrian Phillips, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Guy had one year remaining on his contract, and none of his $2MM base salary was guaranteed. As a result, today’s move will produce $3MM in cap savings and a dead cap charge of just $500K. Phillips was likewise on an expiring deal with none of the $3MM he was owed in the form of guaranteed money. His release will also save $3MM against the cap in 2024 while incurring $1.18MM in dead money.

Amidst an exodus of other longtime members of the organization in recent years, Guy found himself the longest-tenured member of the franchise heading into the 2023 season. Talks on an extension took place during the summer, but no agreement was reached. The 33-year-old had been a full-time starter in his first six seasons in New England, but his playing time dipped to a Patriots tenure-low of 46% in 2023. Now, he will begin searching for a new opportunity.

Guy remained a steady contributor along the defensive front for the Patriots across his 110 games played with the franchise, recording between one and three sacks and between 46 and 61 tackles from 2017-22. His production took a step back this past season, but the Super Bowl LIII winner could generate a decent market in free agency on a short-term deal.

Phillips inked a $12.75MM extension in 2022, and he played every game over the past two seasons. After receiving eight starts in 2022, however, that figure fell to one this past campaign. The 31-year-old’s 12% defensive snap was the lowest of his career and a far cry from his previous workloads in his three Patriots campaigns. He shifted to a special teams mainstay, something which should help his financial floor on a new contract.

The safety spot could see further turnover in this offseason. Kyle Dugger is a pending free agent, as is versatile defensive back Jalen Mills (who logged over 100 snaps at each safety spot last season). Jabrill Peppers has one year remaining on his contract, so a long-term investment at the position should be expected either through free agency or the draft this offseason.

The Patriots entered today with $66MM in cap space, the fourth-highest figure in the league. These cost-shedding moves will add to that total as the team begins a critical offseason with new personnel in place in the front office and on the sidelines. Both Guy and Phillips, meanwhile, will join the list of veteran defenders available on the free agent market.

Patriots Notes: Steve Belichick, Mayo, Front Office, ST Coordinator

January 15th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

While Bill Belichick‘s iconic stint with the Patriots has come to an end, there’s a chance his sons stick with the organization. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, both Steve Belichick and Brian Belichick have been offered opportunities to stay on the staff for 2024.

Steve Belichick has worked his way up through New England’s coaching ranks, culminating in him earning the roles of defensive play-caller and linebackers coach. New head coach Jerod Mayo worked closely with Steve, as the two effectively served as New England’s defensive coordinator over the past few years. While the elder Belichick could recruit his son to his next destination, the younger Belichick still has a strong connection to Mayo and the Patriots.

Brian Belichick joined the organization as a scouting assistant in 2016 and eventually earned a promotion to coaching assistant. After three years in that role, he was promoted to safeties coach, a gig he’s held since the 2020 campaign.

More notes out of New England…

The Patriots quick decision to promote Mayo wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction, a fact we already partly knew considering the outlined succession plan in the coach’s contract. However, Breer notes that Robert Kraft has been touting Mayo as his next head coach for two years, with the owner telling others that Mayo would earn the promotion if Belichick left the organization.
Belichick’s exit didn’t only open a hole on the sideline. Belichick also had full control over personnel, meaning the Patriots now have a GM-sized hole in their front office. We previously heard the organization was expected to lean on their current staff, a grouping that includes director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf. If that configuration doesn’t work out, Breer says Kraft could end up looking to hire a GM, although the owner won’t be rushed into any decision. Breer also notes that the Patriots will better empower their scouting a department, a group that was becoming increasingly “frustrated that they weren’t being heard in the final decision-making process.”
The Patriots have requested permission to interview Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams for the same job, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Williams got his NFL coaching start via the Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellowship, and he worked his way up with the Bears, Lions, and Chargers before joining the Lions as the assistant ST coordinator in 2019. After two years in that role, he earned the top ST gig in Atlanta in 2021.
Before the team’s season finale, the Patriots converted Lawrence Guy‘s $500K playing-time incentive into a bonus, guaranteeing the veteran’s money regardless of his snap count in Week 18. Guy would have earned the incentive had he appeared in 45 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, and he entered Week 18 having played in 45.57 percent. Guy ended up clinching that mark during the loss to the Jets.
During that season finale, most signs pointed to it being special teams ace Matthew Slater‘s final NFL game. ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that there were “strong hints” that the captain would be hanging up his cleats, with the Patriots wearing custom, Slater-themed hoodies and the player’s family being in attendance.

Lawrence Guy, Patriots Discussing New Deal

July 29th, 2023 at 9:15am CST by Ben Levine

Lawrence Guy continues to seek a new contract, and it sounds like the defensive lineman’s camp has started negotiations with the Patriots. After arriving to training camp on time, Guy told reporters that he’s been in contact with the organization about a new contract but wants to “keep that private between us.”

“I’m here. A big smile on my face,” Guy said (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald). “I’m going to do whatever I can for the organization. I’ll work as hard as I can. That’s why we play this game — to be out on this field. To be a brotherhood.”

The Patriots’ longest-tenured player still has two years and $6MM remaining on the four-year, $11.5MM pact ($24MM max value) he signed with the organization during the 2021 offseason. Guy is set to earn $2MM in 2023 and could earn another $3.5MM via incentives, and there’s no remaining guaranteed money on his contract. Per Kyed, the Patriots could free around $3MM in cap space by releasing or trading the veteran (and they’d be left with a $500K dead cap hit).

As a result of his contract situation, Guy skipped mandatory minicamp earlier this summer. A source previously described the contract situation as “a challenging negotiation,” so there were some pundits who wondered if the defensive lineman could end up holding out during training camp. Guy would have faced daily fines of $50K if he skipped out on practices.

Guy is one of the team’s few remaining Super Bowl champs. The 33-year-old spent the previous six seasons in New England, earning a spot on the organization’s All-2010s Team after starting 60 of his 62 regular-season games between 2017 and 2020. In 2022, Guy started all 14 of his appearances, compiling 46 tackles, two sacks, and five QB hits. Pro Football Focus wasn’t all that fond of his performance, ranking him 89th among 127 qualifying interior defenders while also handing him the lowest grade of his career.

“It’s football season. Most players play football in football season,” coach Bill Belichick said when asked about negotiations. “We’ll see how it goes.”

The Patriots aren’t cash strapped at the moment, so they do have some flexibility to give Guy a raise. However, New England has traditionally been stubborn when it comes to handing out revised deals, so it will be interesting to see what side prevails during negotiations.

Patriots DT Lawrence Guy Seeking New Deal

June 12th, 2023 at 5:41pm CST by Ben Levine

One of the Patriots’ longest-tenured players was a no-show at the first day of mandatory minicamp. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, defensive tackle Lawrence Guy didn’t report to the Patriots on Monday and is reportedly seeking a reworked deal.

Per Reiss, Guy wants to redo the four-year, $11.5MM deal ($24MM max value) he signed with the Patriots during the 2021 offseason. The veteran has since changed agents and is hoping to adjust his contract following what sources described as “a challenging negotiation.” Guy is set to earn $2MM this season and could earn up to another $3.5MM via incentives. The defensive tackle has no remaining guaranteed money on his contract.

Bill Belichick didn’t explicitly mention Guy’s holdout today, but he noted that the team was “working through a couple things” when it came to player absences. Per Reiss, Guy would see his daily fines balloon to almost $50K if he isn’t in the building by Wednesday.

This is a bit of a surprising development for one of the team’s few remaining Super Bowl champs. Guy spent the previous six seasons in New England, earning a spot on the organization’s All-2010s Team after starting 60 of his 62 regular-season games between 2017 and 2020.

This past season, Guy started all 14 of his appearances, finishing with 46 tackles, two sacks, and five QB hits. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 89th among 127 qualifying interior defenders while giving him the lowest grade of his career.

Guy wasn’t the only Patriots player not in attendance today. Per Mark Daniels of MassLive.com (on Twitter), left tackle Trent Brown also didn’t show up for the first day of minicamp. However, his absence isn’t money-related; Brown’s flight from Texas was cancelled due to weather, delaying his trip to New England.

Patriots, DL Lawrence Guy Agree To Deal

March 24th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots will have a host of new starters next season, but they are finalizing an agreement to keep one of their own first-stringers. Lawrence Guy and the Pats are closing in on a new four-year deal, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Guy’s second Pats contract is worth $11.5MM over four years, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This represents a discount from the sides’ 2017 agreement, and it will keep Guy in New England — where he will join a brigade of incoming talent acquired over the past two weeks.

Guy visited the Dolphins on Monday, but it does not look like ex-Patriots assistant Brian Flores will be able to lure the veteran defensive tackle to Miami. A staple on the Pats’ defensive line, Guy has been with New England for the past four seasons.

A role player who bounced around prior to joining the Patriots in 2017, Guy started for each of New England’s most recent Super Bowl-qualifying teams and has been a steady first-stringer on each of the Pats’ past four squads. Guy, 31, has started 60 of the 62 games he has played with the Pats.

Flores did bring ex-Patriots defensive tackle Adam Butler to Miami, leaving the Pats thinner on their defensive front. However, the Pats — quite busy in this free agency period — have added on their D-line as well. New England signed Henry Anderson, Davon Godchaux, Montravius Adams and Carl Davis to help up front.

A 2011 Packers seventh-round pick, Guy has played a similar role on each of the Patriot teams on which he has played. He has logged between 50-55% of New England’s defensive snaps from 2017-20. The Pats gave Guy a four-year, $20MM deal in 2017 and agreed to a slight pay bump ahead of his 2020 contract year. It appears the sides are set to continue this partnership, with Guy set to be joined by numerous new faces on the 2021 Pats.

Dolphins Host DL Lawrence Guy

March 22nd, 2021 at 6:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Brian Flores is once again trying to recruit one of his former players to Miami. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins hosted veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy on a free agent visit.

Guy bounced around the NFL during his first six seasons in the NFL, spending time with the Packers, Colts, Chargers, and Ravens. He landed in New England in 2017, and he’s been a consistent starter for the organization over the past four years. The former seventh rounder has started 60 of his 62 appearances for the Patriots, compiling 235 tackles, seven tackles, 27 QB hits, and 16 tackles for loss.

He also started seven playoff games for the Patriots, including a 2018 run that saw him earn his lone Super Bowl ring. Thanks to his four-year performance, Guy earned a surprising spot on the team’s 2010s All-Decade Team.

Despite his consistent performance in New England, it seems like Guy’s stint with the organization has come to an end. The organization brought in three defensive linemen in former Dolphin Davon Godchaux, Henry Anderson, Montravius Adams, and they also re-signed Deatrich Wise and Carl Davis.

Patriots’ Lawrence Guy Gets Pay Bump

August 22nd, 2020 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have revised Lawrence Guy‘s contract, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Patriots increased Guy’s salary by $200K while pushing his per-game roster bonuses by $700K. Meanwhile, two of his play-time incentives totaling $900K were removed. It all works out to an even swap in terms of totals, but it gives the defensive lineman some added security.

Guy, 30, joined the Pats in 2017 a four-year, $19MM deal. Since then, he’s been a staple on New England’s D-Line. Guy hasn’t missed a game in each of the last three seasons, and he’s starting in all but two of those games. Last year, he set a new career high with 61 total tackles, including three sacks. Before he joined the Patriots, Guy was a featured regular in the Ravens’ defensive end rotation. And, before that, he was something of a journeyman.

The Pats have taken care of the hard-nose lineman in the past. In each of the last two years, they’ve paid out more than $750K in signing bonuses to make up for the playing time incentives that he narrowly missed.

Load More Posts