2 Infamous Former Vikings Stuck on Bench

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

For two years and three offseasons, Minnesota Vikings fans hoped safety Lewis Cine and cornerback Andrew Booth would blossom into prominence.

2 Infamous Former Vikings Stuck on Bench

But that never happened, and the Vikings’ defense is straight-up rolling without either man, ranking second in the NFL per DVOA entering Week 3.

Lewis Cine (BUF)

Minnesota cut Cine loose during roster trimdowns three weeks ago, hitting waivers and enabling any NFL team to try him on for size. He initially intended to join the New York Jets but later changed his mind and signed with the Buffalo Bills.

Lewis Cine Is Doing
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

At the end of August, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted: “After planning to sign with the Jets, Lewis Cine has now pivoted and is signing with the Bills practice squad. Source said Cine changed his mind after sorting through everything Wednesday. His college coach, Jahmile Addae, is the DB coach in Buffalo. Was heavily recruited by teams throughout the day.”

Now, he’s trapped on the Bills’ practice squad, and Cine hasn’t been promoted to the gameday roster. Instead, these men are taking all safety snaps in Buffalo:

  • Taylor Rapp
  • Damar Hamlin
  • Mike Edwards
  • Cole Bishop

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted Cine in April 2022, his first pick after three months on the job. The pick drew immediate criticism as Vikings faithful wanted the purple team to choose safety Kyle Hamilton, but Adofo-Mensah instead traded back with NFC North rivals and picked Cine.

Minnesota safety Lewis Cine on August 21st, 2024, in Eagan, Minnesota, chatting with Jeff Wald of FOX9. The Vikings drafted Cine in the 1st Round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 32nd pick. Cine faced the roster bubble in the summer of 2024.

Cine didn’t win a starter’s job right away in 2022 and fractured his leg soon after in London. The nasty injury mandated a long recovery, although Cine was back in action by the start of the 2023 regular season. The problem? Minnesota’s safety room was deep enough without the Georgia alumnus, utilizing full-time roles for Smith, Bynum, and Metellus.

The 2022 1st-Rounder will remain a call-up away from the active roster, but so far, he’s pitching a shutout for playing time.

Andrew Booth (DAL)

Booth, on the other hand, is on the Cowboys’ active roster, tucked within a defense run by ex-Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

But he isn’t playing, either.

Many Vikings fans and this website speculated throughout the summer that Booth could be a trade candidate, and the team reached that exact verdict on August 9th. Minnesota received cornerback Nahshon Wright for Booth, and Wright lives on the purple team’s practice squad.

Meanwhile, these Cowboys CBs are receiving snaps ahead of Booth in Dallas:

  • Trevon Diggs
  • Caelen Carson
  • Jourdan Lewis
  • C.J. Goodwin
  • Israel Mukuamu

The former 2nd-Round pick hasn’t even seen the field for special teams.

roster battle
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

Like Cine, Booth is buried on the depth chart.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.