On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings trimmed their roster to 53 players. They had until 3 PM Tuesday to trim their 90-man offseason roster to 53. To get to 53, the Vikings wound up cutting two former first-round picks.
Lewis Cine ran out of opportunities
Lewis Cine, the No. 32 pick in the 2022 draft, came into training camp on the bubble to make the roster after Najee Thompson switched from safety to the cornerback position this summer. Cine dealt with injuries in his rookie season, but he’s been a healthy scratch for more than ten games in two seasons in Minnesota. In his two seasons in the league, Cine has appeared in just ten games and started none.
Cine made 18 tackles, one sack, and one interception in the preseason. However, he struggled during practices in training camp.
Per Ari Meriov with the 33rd Team, the Vikings released Cine on Tuesday.
The Minnesota Vikings released N’Keal Harry
Last year, the Vikings gave the New England Patriots first-round pick in the 2019 draft an opportunity. Wide receiver N’Keal Harry spent most of the 2023 season with the Vikings. He appeared in nine games last season but recorded no offensive snaps.
The Vikings wanted to give the big-bodied receiver another opponent this year. They switched his position from wide receiver to tight end during OTAs. He caught four passes for 60 yards on seven targets during the preseason.
Unfortunately, he didn’t show the Vikings coaching staff enough to stay on the 53-man roster. Per Meriov, the Vikings released Harry on Tuesday.
Harry will likely get looks in the regular season when receivers or tight ends start to suffer injuries. Cine should get another opportunity for a fresh start relatively quickly, as the Vikings might have been a bad fit for the talented defensive back out of Georgia.
