Lewis Cine’s Last Hoorah?
The Minnesota Vikings are set to kick off their final preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made safety Lewis Cine his first-ever draft pick back in 2022. Now we are looking at what may be his final game on the roster.
Lewis Cine’s Last Hoorah?
Last week against the Cleveland Browns it was clear that the Minnesota Vikings were putting Lewis Cine in a featured role. It remains to be seen whether that was to show him off for a trade, or because they needed him to go out and prove it. Regardless, the former Georgia Bulldog posted arguably his best professional game.
This preseason Cine has 13 total tackles, a sack, and an interception. To suggest he has made a notable mark on the defense would be putting it lightly. Brian Flores has kept the backup safety on the field for as long as he can handle. A significant positive is that the former first-round pick has been able to withstand it all.
When the Minnesota Vikings ultimately work through their roster cutdowns, they will need to decide how many safeties they keep. If the answer is five or less, Cine won’t have room. He is on the bubble if there are six kept, and he could be playing for an opportunity to join another 53-man roster.
If this is Cine’s end, the Vikings will constantly be left wondering what if. Of course, Cine didn’t do himself any favors when healthy, but he also rarely was. A significant leg injury during his rookie season certainly altered the course of his career. Trying to make up for lost development and work his way back in, Cine was always up against long odds.
The hope would be that Cine can make a difference, no matter the outcome. If he’s being shipped out for a late-round pick, then go prove it elsewhere. If he is retained as one of the last players to make the roster, then go hard all year wrong and carve out an expanded role.
This may very well be the end of the line for Cine, and we’ll soon have an answer to that question.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.