Bleacher Report Names Vikings’ Top Trade Bait
Just when he produced the game of his life, Lewis Cine’s trade value is evidently at its highest point in a year or so.
Bleacher Report Names Vikings’ Top Trade Bait
That’s the word from Bleacher Report, an outfit that named Cine the Minnesota Vikings’ top trade candidate with the regular season less than three weeks away.
“While injuries have limited his availability and development, when healthy, the cogs have failed to mesh for Cine within a youth-infused Vikings secondary. And similarly to the recent trade of Andrew Booth to the Dallas Cowboys, Cine could be the next former highly drafted Vikings secondary defender to find himself in new surroundings. It’s difficult to project where Cine’s snaps will come from this fall,” BR’s Ryan Fowler nominated Cine.
“With Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and emerging talent Josh Metellus all presumptively locked into contributing roles as multi-level defenders, Cine’s snaps could solely come on special teams.”
Fowler name-dropped a trade possibility from each NFL team, so it wasn’t like Cine-or-bust defined the article.
“The team also drafted Jay Ward (LSU) in 2023, and recently agreed to terms with veteran Bobby McCain for added depth,” Fowler continued. “Cine still has value on the market, however, particularly for teams that entered the draft process with high marks on his game. There’s always teams that believe they can pull the best out of players that failed at their first NFL home, unlocking potential that failed to showcase in prior years.”
The Vikings defeated the Cleveland Browns in Saturday’s preseason game, 27-12, and Cine experienced ample playing time. Along the way, he produced the game of his NFL life, tallying an interception, sack, a rim-rattling quarterback hit, and 11 total tackles.
Before the preseason heroics, Cine lived on Minnesota’s roster bubble, with most fans preparing for his waiver next week when roster trimdowns occur on August 27th. However, following the stellar performance, most Vikings fans and analysts have turned to roster projections and carved out a spot for Cine, hoping his preseason reclamation can continue into the regular season. Stay tuned.
Cine broke his leg in October 2022, his rookie season, and valiantly battled back to be ready for the 2023 season. Then, though, he hardly played as a second-year defender, and Minnesota’s safety room continued to thicken with the emergences of Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus, and Theo Jackson.
The Georgia alumnus probably needed an impactful training camp to make the 53-man roster, but that event came and went with little fanfare from Cine. He was injured (again) and only recently made it back for the Browns showdown.
There, of course, he stood off the page.
If BR is correct and Cine is traded, he’d likely fetch a late-round draft pick, though Minnesota may hang onto Cine with hopes of the spark kindled at Cleveland.
Fowler also mentioned Malik Willis (QB, Tennesee Titans), Dameon Pierce (RB, Houston Texans), and Kaiir Elam (CB, Buffalo Bills), among 27 others, as trade candidates.
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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.
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