With Lewis Cine on Vikings’ Roster Bubble, Is He Done Everywhere?
The Minnesota Vikings made Lewis Cine the 32nd overall pick during the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, looking at a possible jettison from the roster and capping off a horrible first effort from general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, does Cine fit elsewhere, or is this it for him in the league?
With Lewis Cine on Vikings’ Roster Bubble, Is He Done Everywhere?
Taken as a safety out of Georgia, the calling card for Lewis Cine was his hitting ability. While the safety position can be played in a multitude of ways, it was expected that he could play up in the box and hit running backs or remain back in coverage and jar passes loose from wide receivers.
To date, we have seen him do exactly none of the above, and while a good portion of that is due to the significant injury he suffered in London just weeks into his professional career, he has also never recovered. Getting into only three games during his rookie season after the injury kept him on the sidelines, he worked his way into just seven games a year ago.
Defensively, Cine has been put on the field for just 10 total snaps during the first two years of his professional career. He did see 84 special team snaps last season, but nothing about his production made him noteworthy or a standout, and that begs the question of what type of role he will have elsewhere.
Reports have begun to circulate that a roster spot for the franchise that drafted him looks unlikely at best. Cine will struggle to crack the Minnesota safety rotation, and he isn’t a good enough special teams player to be prioritized there, either. With other mouths to feed on the 53-man roster, he will likely be a casualty and looking for work.
At just 25 years old this season, there is really no reason that another franchise won’t at least take a flier on him. After all, first-round draft picks are often afforded additional opportunities, and the next organization thinking they will be the ones to unlock the talent is always in play. Cine has contributed in such a small fashion, though, that it’s hard to imagine that a greater development arc is possible. He has missed a significant amount of time that could have worked to his advantage, and now, looking to overcome that seems almost insurmountable.
It’s definitely possible that another franchise stashes him on their practice squad, and he should have the opportunity to hang on and collect paychecks if he so chooses, but because of all things considered, this may be among the quicker flameouts we have seen in recent memory.
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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