Breaking news: Local Insider Tip-Offs at Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr.’s Minnesota Projects
Breaking news: Local Insider Tip-Offs at Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr.’s Minnesota Projects
A lot of Minnesota Vikings fans will recall January 26, 2022. The Minnesota Vikings have appointed Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their new general manager. Soon after, he assisted in the hiring process for Kevin O’Connell, the head coach of the Vikings.
Pioneer Press journalist Charley Walters had some intriguing tidbits in his Sunday piece on what he’s hearing behind the scenes about Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr., the first and second round draft picks from 2022.
Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. are unlikely to be on the Minnesota Vikings roster.
With two seasons remaining on his rookie deal and $4 million guaranteed, Lewis Cine, a former first-round safety, is “untradeable,” according to Walters. The veteran Sid Hartman scoops opponent Charley, a former Minnesota Twin, states plainly, “It’s likely [Cine will] get waived in training camp.”
Safety in the First Round Lewis Cine
Draft boards for the 2022 NFL Draft are immediately filled by O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah, who begin constructing their own staffs. Their plan is finally becoming clear after two years without that offseason—all because of that first draft class, of course.
Some people might or might not find this surprising. The decision to cut Cine, who had two years remaining on his original deal, would be difficult to accept for Adofo-Mensah, who was the NFL general manager’s first pick.
A terrible complex fracture to his lower left leg sustained during a special teams play in week four of 2022 ended Cine’s season, but even prior to the injury, which occurred while he was a punt coverage gunner, he was never truly in the running to start that season.
Despite recovering from his injury in 2023, Cine saw virtually little defensive play during the season, totaling just 8 snaps, and finishing near the bottom of the safety depth chart. Though his injuries may have contributed to his sluggish NFL start, the buzz inside TCO Performance Center must not be all that positive right now.
It is unclear if Lewis Cine will be formally waived during training camp, but Walters claims that his days in Minnesota are running out. You can read between the lines to see what will happen if the Vikings are unable to deal him.
Cornerback in the second round Andrew Booth, Jr.
Along with Andrew Booth Jr., a former 2022 second-round pick who may be done as a Viking, Lewis Cine is also “hotly tipped” to not make the roster.
