Lewis Cine Found a Job
Former Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine cleared the NFL’s waiver process on Wednesday with no nibbles.
Lewis Cine Found a Job
Shortly after, the New York Jets swooped, and Cine will now be a teammate of Aaron Rodgers. He’ll live on the Jets’ practice squad.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted Wednesday, “Source: Lewis Cine is signing with the Jets. Former first-round pick starts elsewhere after Minnesota released him Tuesday.”
Any squad could’ve claimed Cine for its 53-man roster and owned his rights for the next 2-3 years. But because Cine has $4 million guaranteed left on his rookie deal, all general managers said nope. The Jets brass waited until the waiver expired and grabbed Cine for cheap.
The Jets’ safety section of the depth chart will now look like this:
- Chuck Clark
- Tony Adams
- Ashtyn Davis
- Isaiah Oliver
- Lewis Cine (PS)
Minnesota re-signed Cine’s former teammate, Bobby McCain, a fellow safety, to the practice squad on Wednesday. Minnesota now showcases the following safeties:
- Harrison Smith
- Camryn Bynum
- Josh Metellus
- Theo Jackson
- Jay Ward
- Bobby McCain (PS)
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 swiped Cine.
Cine didn’t win a starter’s job right away in 2022 and fractured his leg soon after in London. The gruesome 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 Vikings simply had too many effective safeties for Cine to make a dent. Perhaps his career will be rekindled in New York. Stay tuned.
Cine flashed in a preseason game a week and a half ago versus the Cleveland Browns, harassing several Browns reserve players. His 53-man roster stock climbed, at least per onlookers who wanted him to make the Vikings’ roster. But the prestige was brief, and Cine was dropped this week.
The Jets have the NFL’s ninth-best odds to win the Super Bowl in February, outfitted with a +1,800 moneyline. They live in the same category as the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys for Super Bowl odds.
Cine was known for his speed and violent defensive tendencies at Georgia, skills that have yet to translate to the NFL.
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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