Zulgad: Moving day? Lewis Cine's stock on the rise after fantastic performance against Browns
The Vikings knew exactly what they were doing by giving the safety extensive action in a vanilla scheme that put his talents on display.
Lewis Cine’s performance in the Vikings’ 27-12 preseason victory at Cleveland on Saturday was so good, and surprising, that it almost felt like it counted. The Vikings’ television broadcasters raved about Cine’s play, and fans on Twitter wondered if the safety had finally figured it out.
Cine, the 32nd and final pick of the first round of the 2022 draft by the Vikings, went from bust to game-breaker for a day. He finished with a game-high 10 tackles and added a sack, two quarterback hurries and an interception.
He started at safety and didn’t come out.
So what did it mean? The Vikings’ three-man TV booth of Paul Allen, Pete Bercich and Ben Leber discussed how the gruesome left leg fracture Cine suffered in the third game of his rookie season had derailed his career and that only now might we be seeing the real Cine.
That’s the view of an optimist. A realist realized the ones who deserved praise for what Cine did Saturday weren’t wearing a uniform. Bravo, Minnesota Vikings brass and coaching staff.
Cine is positioned near the bottom of a depth chart that includes starters Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus, who is listed as a safety but is so much more. Theo Jackson is the fourth guy and it won’t be surprising to see him get regular playing time this season.
The Vikings kept six safeties last season, including Cine, in their cutdown to the 53-man roster limit. Because of how fluid things are at cornerback, it’s hard to say whether the Vikings will keep five or six safeties when final cuts are made later this month. Part of that will have to do with whether Jay Ward is classified as a safety or cornerback.
If the Vikings again keep six, then Cine has a chance to stick and also play on special teams. But the way Cine was used on Saturday felt much more like the Vikings were showcasing him for other teams.
Cine, 24, played a ton of snaps in a defensive scheme that put his skillset on display but, in reality, was far more vanilla than anything defensive coordinator Brian Flores will design for regular-season games. Cine isn’t going to take away playing time from Smith or Bynum and there’s zero chance he would be put into Metellus’ role. Jackson will be the first option, if anything happens to the starting three.
Cine was drafted to play in Ed Donatell’s ill-fated defensive scheme, but Flores runs a very different system and that was a big part of the reason that Cine only played in seven games last season. His snap count on defense: Eight.
If Cine was a fifth-round pick, this might not be as big of deal. But he’s a former first-round pick who long ago said his leg wasn’t an issue.
Cine’s performance on Saturday is now on film for 31 other NFL teams. The Vikings currently hold only three 2025 draft picks, including their first-rounder, and are expected to get a third-round compensatory pick for losing Kirk Cousins. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah undoubtedly would love to acquire additional picks and have more currency with which to make moves.
Cine isn’t likely to get you much - trading him would be preferable to releasing him from a financial standpoint - but a few weeks ago the suggestion that he could bring back a late-round pick was scoffed at. So could he now get you a conditional sixth- or seventh-round selection based on playing time elsewhere?
Cine’s Showcase Game made that a possibility and that might have been the biggest win for the Vikings on Saturday.