Lewis Cine Was Part of the Sam Howell Sweepstakes
On Sunday morning, news dropped about the Minnesota Vikings sending backup quarterback Sam Howell to Philadelphia, while signing Carson Wentz to be the new alternate passer in the Twin Cities. Then, Lewis Cine’s name appeared in the headlines.
Lewis Cine Was Part of the Sam Howell Sweepstakes
Because the reigning Super Bowl champions received a player without giving one up, they had to make room on the 90-man roster. Howell came in, and Cine was released.
The Eagles announced via their official social media airways, “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.”
He received an injury designation, which simply means he’s hurt. If he clears waivers, which he likely will, he lands on Philadelphia’s IR. Cine suffered an injury in the recent preseason contest.
Philadelphia Inquirer’s Oliva Reiner noted, “In a corresponding move, the Eagles waived/injured Lewis Cine, who was on crutches in the locker room after the preseason finale against the Jets.”
The severity of the injury is unclear, but an extended absence would be another gut punch for a player who doesn’t really need another one. Cine was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 draft and became Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft choice.
Expected to be the long-term solution at safety, Cine couldn’t snatch Cam Bynum’s starting job, then Joshua Metellus replaced Harrison Smith due to an injury. Now we know that Bynum and Metellus are ballers, but all we saw back in 2022 was that Cine was not even one of the top three safeties, which was alarming.
In Week 4 of his rookie campaign, Cine suffered a gruesome leg injury that would cost him the remainder of the year. When he returned to practice in the following offseason, defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, who drafted him for his scheme, was gone, and Brian Flores was calling the shots. He elevated Metellus to the starting lineup and assembled his trio without the sophomore.
Cine was mostly inactive that year. Last preseason, he showed some promise, but ultimately couldn’t earn a roster spot. Once he was cut, the Buffalo Bills added him to their practice squad. The Philadelphia Eagles signed him to their active roster in January, and he became the latest former Georgia defender, reuniting with half his defensive teammates from the 2021 title squad. Cine didn’t play that game, but he’s officially a Super Bowl champion.
With the Vikings, Cine appeared in ten games and logged ten defensive snaps and 118 on special teams. He also suited up for the Bills once, playing another 16 reps on special teams.
The defender will undoubtedly enter the Vikings’ history books as a failure or bust, but he was a promising draft prospect coming out. It’s impossible to know how much of an impact the injury and the coordinator and scheme change had on his career and if things could’ve been different without those obstacles.
John McCullen of Si.com wrote about Cine’s recent play with the Eagles and his chances to make the 53-man roster:
“He was buried on the Eagles’ safety depth chart behind projected starters Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown, as well as rookie Drew Mukuba, Tristin McCollum, Andre Sam, and even undrafted rookie Maxen Hook. Recently, Cine had been dealing with a groin injury, but returned to play 10 defensive snaps in a 19-17 preseason finale win over the New York Jets on Friday night in which he recorded an impressive diving interception. Those occasional flashes that reminded many why league personnel evaluators were high on Cine coming out of college were few and far between, however.”
Cine will turn 26 in October.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.