Since training camp has started, lots of names have been thrown around as standouts. Jordan Addison, Cam Bynum, Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, and others. However, as all of these names begin to surface amongst Minnesota fans, there are other players worth noting. For example, DeWayne McBride looks shifty and kind of dangerous. I could easily see DeWayne McBride taking the number 2 spot in that running back room over Ty Chandler. While other names fly under the radar, one name worth being recognized is Lewis Cine.
After trading back in the 2022 draft the Vikings selected Lewis Cine out of Georgia. With Harrison Smith getting older each season, the Vikings front office thought bringing in someone to learn from him would be a good idea, granted, KOC and Kwesi both cleared all the old names from the team immediately, so clearly they were furthering their notion with this move. The bright side, however, was that fans had a new first round safety to look forward too, and one that was good.
With the season starting fans knew that Cine was not gonna start right off the rip. I mean the guy had to beat Harrison Smith for the position, and as a rookie, that isn’t easy. Cine went a different route by trying to prove his skill and potential through special teams and he didn’t do bad. It’s just really hard to earn a position through special teams. While playing special teams though, Cine would end up snapping his leg in two. Lots of Vikings fans have said it was one of the worst injuries they have seen. Especially for a rookie, this was devastating. Four weeks into the season and a season ending injury happens. Not to mention the season Cine missed was one of the best in recent Vikings history. Obviously with this set back Cine was more than likely crushed. Through all this adversity though, Cine immediately channeled his focus into recovery and oh man did he fly through his recovery process.
Through all this hard work and determination, Cine was finally able to go show what he was made of in training camp. Since the start of training camp, all I can hear is that he is a freak on the field. I’ve seen multiple picks and PBU’s along with comments saying that he flies from sideline to sideline. If this is how he is gonna play all season, maybe Smith should be concerned for Lewis Cine. If Cine were to keep up this high caliber play through the season, maybe Flores will use him as an extra blitzer, or he might even just run more 3 safety sets than his initially planned. If Flores uses Cine right, Cine could easily be a premier safety in this league.
In the end of things, Cine has great potential. I could easily see him just being a top 10 safety in the next 2-3 years if he keeps up his progress at this pace. If Cine has anything right now, it is the perfect situation to develop properly. After seeing how determined he was to just get back on the field, I could only imagine his determination to be the best.
