Vikings roster math could leave former first-round pick on cutting room floor

NFL cutdown day is right around the corner, and Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine is seemingly on the outside looking into the 53-man roster.

Cine, a first-round pick in 2022, has failed to live up to his lofty draft billing. His struggles have now reached a point where his future with the Vikings is in jeopardy, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic ($).

Lewis praised Cine for "[putting] together his best performance as a Viking" in Minnesota's Week 2 preseason win versus the Cleveland Browns as a preamble. However, he believes that may not be enough to overcome the chopping block, even with the potential financial ramifications.

"Moving on from [Cine] would mean absorbing a sizable dead cap hit," Lewis stated. "But the Vikings might be willing to pay the present tax for the future dividends of another young roster spot."

Nonetheless, Lewis notes that Cine's ostensibly inevitable fate is as much a simple mathematics problem as it's related to his struggles.

Vikings roster math could leave former first-round pick Lewis Cine on the cutting room floor

The Vikings already have four safeties guaranteed to make the roster: Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson. Moreover, 2023 fourth-round selection Jay Ward was an integral part of the special teams unit last season, putting him in good standing. With that in mind, is Minnesota willing to keep Cine as the sixth option? Lewis has his doubts.

"Keep six [safeties], including [Jay] Ward and [Lewis] Cine, and the cornerback choices become nearly impossible," Lewis said.

Last month, ESPN reported that Cine "appeared to be no better than the sixth safety on the roster," aligning with Lewis' sentiments.

A compound fracture to Cine's left leg in Week 4 of his rookie year limited him to three games in 2022. But in the following campaign, he remained a non-factor.

Across 10 games as a pro, Cine has produced one career tackle on a measly 10 defensive snaps. His practically nonexistent usage is alarming and suggests he's expendable should the Vikings be ready to cut their losses.

In the exhibition contest against the Browns, Cine recorded 11 combined tackles (one for loss), two quarterback hits, a sack and a pass deflection. Despite the impressive effort, it may unfortunately be too little too late for him.