Popular Viking Well-Aware of Roster Bubble Status
Of course, it was “only preseason,” but Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine shined last weekend at the Cleveland Browns.
Popular Viking Well-Aware of Roster Bubble Status
Cine put together four quarters of exhibition majesty, a welcome sight for Vikings fans who have waited 28 months for the young defender to blossom. He banked an interception, a sack, a violent-but-legal hit, and 11 total tackles.
But that doesn’t mean Cine will make the 53-man roster in five days.
Minnesota has until August 27th to trim the roster from 91 players to 53, and Cine personally knows he’s on the roster bubble. This week, FOX9’s Jeff Wald interviewed Cine and asked him if the preseason performance was enough to secure a regular season roster spot.
“I don’t know for sure. That’s not really what I’m thinking about. I’m just thinking about stacking another one. Add on to that, handle the things I can handle, and let the pieces fall where they may,” Cine replied.
Cine is a bit “trapped” in a deep Vikings safety room that includes these players:
- Harrison Smith
- Camryn Bynum
- Josh Metellus
- Theo Jackson
- Jay Ward
- Lewis Cine
- Bobby McCain
Not for nothing, Smith, Bynum, Metellus, and Jackson may all be guaranteed roster spots.
Cine added, “I’m not oblivious to knowing this is a business at the end of the day, but I’m confident in myself, I’m confident in the player that I am. A healthy me is a dangerous me, so that’s all I can say about that.”
Invoking “it’s a business” verbiage usually indicates a player knows his roster spot isn’t on lock. Cine very much looked the part of a 1st-Round pick at Cleveland, the first time any Vikings fan could utter such a statement in 2+ years. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made Cine the first draft pick of his tenure — notably passing on Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton — and the Georgia alumnus has disappointed to date.
But he did no such thing last Saturday, flying all over the field in what may have been his last best chance to prove himself and earn a spot on the 53-man roster this season. About two weeks ago, Adofo-Mensah traded Cine’s draft mate, Andrew Booth, to the Dallas Cowboys for cornerback Nahshon Wright, proving he’s willing to cut bait with failed draft picks. Cine perhaps awaited a similar fate, but he might’ve changed everything in Cleveland. Stay tuned.
Other players on the Vikings roster bubble? Dalton Risner (offensive guard), Robert Tonyan (tight end), Duke Shelley (cornerback), Jaren Hall (quarterback), and James Lynch (defensive tackle), to name a few.
Cine has another opportunity on Saturday to explode — as he did in Cleveland — and will learn his 53-man roster fate on Tuesday.
The man’s roster safety could boil down to a choice by the coaching staff between himself, Jay Ward, and Bobby McCain.
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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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