Has anyone stopped to think about what a wild year 2022 must have felt like for Lewis Cine?
Cine started his 2022 as an integral part of one of the most dominant defenses in college football history, bringing home the National Championship for the Georgia Bulldogs and finishing his season third on the team in tackles as a safety. He was a dynamo, a fearless defender with breakneck downhill acceleration that made you feel his presence whenever he made contact. At that moment, Cine had to feel on top of the world.
Fast forward to Week 4 of Cine’s rookie season. The injury he suffered against the New Orleans Saints in London led some to question not just how long he’d be sidelined, but whether he’d ever play football again.
And just like that all of Cine’s development was put on pause. Learning his new defensive scheme, adjusting to the speed of the game, and gaining confidence in himself at this level — all that would now be buried under his new mountain to climb: surgery, recovery, and rehab.
That’s what made Cine’s speedy recovery so exciting. Minnesota Vikings fans have excitedly awaited the emergence of the former Bulldog for months. He’s the first defender this new regime put their stamp on. Fans were ecstatic to see him participating in practice and OTAs, seemingly flying around with the same type of athleticism and explosiveness that got mouths watering when he was drafted.
And after getting that taste of Cine back in action, it’s easy to get greedy and want more out of the sophomore player. When practice reports come out with players like Josh Metellus and Cam Bynum still playing ahead of Cine halfway through OTAs, it’s easy to feel some anxiety.
Why isn’t Cine playing? Is he still a step slow? A busted pick? Is the sky falling? I don’t think so. We’re simply watching Cine take over where he left off.
Before leaving the field in an air cast in Week 4, Cine was a young player with a lot to learn and room to grow to reach his sky-high ceiling. Roughly nine months since that injury, he’s finally ready to start that developmental trajectory. The problem is that he’s gonna need to start almost completely over again. New defensive coordinator, new responsibilities, new terminology — all this after learning to walk again.
Even if it may take some patience, though, let’s not forget what made Cine so exciting in the first place. Elite burst and athleticism. Violent hitting with purpose. A football-savvy player who diagnoses quick and comes downhill even quicker. These are all traits that should make him an ideal marriage with the Flores defense. Flores loves utilizing versatile players like Cine in the box covering the slot and attacking ball carriers, a perfect fit for his skillset.
But especially as he attempts to learn an all-new NFL defense, and how to trust his left leg again, it makes sense why veterans like Bynum and Metellus would sit ahead of his on the depth chart. For now, anyway.
It’s still early in this race. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover before the Vikings open against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in US Bank Stadium. And if there’s one thing Lewis Cine does, it’s cover ground. Quickly.
And if the way Cine attacked his rehab is any indication of how he’ll attack this position battle, I’m certainly not betting against him. The more time goes by, the sharper his mind will be in this new scheme and the more he’ll trust himself to plant that left leg and explode to the ball. And when he hits you coming downhill, he doesn’t just hit you. He bursts through you.
Lewis Cine is simply too talented to keep off the field. His explosiveness and instincts are exactly what Brian Flores looks for in a defender. It’s only a matter of time until both are fully realized again just like they were in Athens. When it happens, it could change the complexion of the entire Vikings defense.
