Lewis Cine Signs with NFC Playoff Team
The Vikings will face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday in what will be Kevin O’Connell’s second postseason contest as Minnesota’s head coach. He will compete against his former boss, Sean McVay, and the Vikings meet an old foe, Matthew Stafford, but he’s no longer wearing a Lions uniform.
Lewis Cine Signs with NFC Playoff Team
Besides those two franchises, the NFC playoff picture consists of the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles.
The latter made a move on Wednesday, acquiring former first-round pick Lewis Cine. He was the first player selected in the draft by the new regime led by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell. Unfortunately, he has not turned into the difference-maker the duo hoped he could.
But his journey was complicated. At first, he entered training camp and couldn’t land one of the two coveted starting jobs at safety. Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum defended their positions, leaving Cine with special teams duties in his first few games.
When the Vikings traveled to London to meet the New Orleans Saints, Cine fractured his leg while playing one of those special teams snaps. That ended his debut season.
Following that year, the club parted ways with defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, and the former Georgia standout had to learn Brian Flores‘ defense. He also had to compete with the previous starters and Josh Metellus following his rise, and once again, he only earned a backup job and was inactive for most of the season.
In his third preseason, folks hoped to see a Cine breakout, but it never happened, although his standout game in the second preseason contest sparked some hope. He ultimately was cut and joined the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills, from where the Eagles snatched him.
Cine spent two seasons with the Vikings, competing in ten games. He logged ten defensive and 118 special teams snaps. With the Bills, Cine was active once, getting 16 reps as a special teamer.
The Eagles are a fascinating landing spot for the former Bulldog because they employ half of Georgia’s 2021 national championship defense:
- Jalen Carter
- Jordan Davis
- Nakobe Dean
- Nolan Smith
- Kelee Ringo
- Lewis Cine
Minnesota, meanwhile, has turned the page. Smith, Bynum, and Metellus still handle the safety duties while they are happy with backup Theo Jackson. Last year’s draft choice, Jay Ward, is also on the roster, and veteran Bobby McCain provides even more depth from the practice squad.
Cine is on the long list of departed players from Adofo-Mensah’s 2022 draft class. Andrew Booth was traded last preseason, Akayleb Evans was waived during the 2024 campaign, and Esezi Otomewo couldn’t make the 53-man roster in 2023. Vederian Lowe was shipped to New England ahead of the 2023 season.
Currently on the team are benched right guard Ed Ingram, special teams linebacker Brian Asamoah, RB3 Ty Chandler, WR3 Jalen Nailor, and practice squad tight end Nick Muse.
Cine turned 25 in October and is now on his third team. If the purple team and the Eagles both win their first playoff game and the Commanders beat the Buccaneers, Cine would host his former team in the divisional round.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt