Lewis Cine Comeback SZN Is On
Ted Schwerzler
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When the Minnesota Vikings took Lewis Cine with their first-round draft pick in 2022, they likely envisioned the hard-hitting Georgia product lining up next to Harrison Smith in the latter half of the season. Instead, they watched him suffer a gruesome injury, and focus turned to 2023. Now, comeback season has commenced.
When playing against the New Orleans Saints in London, the Vikings watched their rookie safety go down and need to be carted off the field. Teammates huddled around him as he was placed on a backboard and taken to the locker room. A season of development was done before it really ever got started.
Lewis Cine Comeback SZN Is On
Although Cine has been progressing in rehab, we haven’t seen much evidence to this point. On Friday, the talented safety posted a social media update.
Suffering a compound fracture of his left leg, Cine must work through an extensive rehabilitation process and the mental ability to put himself back out there. He had yet to truly get his feet wet in the NFL, having played just two total defensive snaps on the season. Entering 2023 with the hopes of being fully healthy, he could be relied upon quickly.
Veteran safety Harrison Smith is now on the downside of his career, and there were certainly signs of slowing at points throughout this season. Going into 2023, Smith carries a cap hit of more than $19 million, and with him turning 35 years old, the Vikings could opt against paying that number.
It may be beneficial to find a way for Smith to restructure his deal and help Cine in 2023. That would have been the goal last season, although Cam Bynum wound up getting the entirety of work next to Smith. Cine could polish himself as an all-around safety alongside Smith, and bringing more to the table than his hard-hitting prowess from Georgia would be a boost.
Either way, the Vikings need a much better defensive showing from their group in the year ahead, and that will require someone like Cine to step up. He headlined a defensive-focused draft class but saw teammates Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans suffer similar injury fates.
As the Vikings seek to find their next defensive coordinator, whoever is brought in will be immediately tasked with getting more from the youth on this roster. It’s unrealistic to think a total overhaul can be achieved with limited cap space, and bringing along the development of young talent more efficiently and effectively is a must.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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