Former Vikings 1st-Round Pick Dumped by Eagles to Make Roster Room for Sam Howell
On Sunday morning, the Minnesota Vikings sent QB Sam Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In exchange, the Vikings received a 2026 fifth-round pick as well as a 2027 seventh-round pick, giving them additional draft capital that can be used either next spring or to bring in another veteran wide receiver or cornerback.
On Philadelphia’s side, though, roster space had to be made in order to make the trade work. That resulted in the Eagles deciding to dump a different former Vikings player: safety Lewis Cine.
Eagles Take on Vikings QB Sam Howell, Dump Lewis Cine
The Eagles themselves tweeted the scoop, writing, “We have agreed to acquire QB Sam Howell and a 2026 6th-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for a 2026 5th-round pick and a 2027 7th-round pick. We have waived/injured DB Lewis Cine.”
Cine was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Vikings, but his tenure was short-lived due to some very disappointing play from the Georgia product.
The safety’s rookie season was short-lived due to a compound fracture in his leg suffered during Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints, but he had already been relegated to special teams snaps at that point.
2023 looked like it could be an opportunity for Cine to bounce back, but Josh Metellus emerged as the do-it-all talented defender that we know him as now. As a result, Cine again was relegated to a reserve role, playing just seven games and just eight snaps on defense.
With the disappointing start to his career, the Vikings opted to waive Cine at the end of training camp in 2024, and he eventually spent time with both the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills during the season.
Cine then entered free agency again in 2025, and he was picked up by the Eagles this spring. However, he suffered an injury during Philadelphia’s final preseason game, resulting in the waiving with injury designation.
Now, the former first-round pick is going to be forced to look for another team if he is going to continue his NFL career.
Cine turns 26 years old in October.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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