In 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles had the best defense in the NFL. While most of the love was given to their unstoppable defensive front, Philadelphia's secondary was also solid. Rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean showed they can handle the NFL game already. In the meantime, veteran safeties Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson held down the back end.
That said, Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Houston Texans earlier this offseason, leaving the Eagles to fill an important role in the back end of their defense. Philadelphia provided itself with a plethora of options to replace Gardner-Johnson this offseason. Unfortunately, these new additions have made veteran safety Lewis Cine's chances of making the roster difficult.
Safety Lewis Cine on Eagles Roster Bubble Heading Into Training Camp
After the way Cine's career has started, Eagles fans shouldn't be too surprised he is on the roster bubble. Philadelphia signed Cine off the Buffalo Bills' practice squad for safety depth during the playoffs last year. Prior to being on the Bills practice squad, the former Georgia Bulldog was selected with the 32nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
During his time in Minnesota, the 25-year-old failed to live up to his draft spot. In two seasons with the Vikings, Cine played in a total of 3% of the defensive snaps and recorded just one tackle. He has, however, seen plenty of snaps with both the Vikings and Bills special teams units.
Part of the reason Cine's stint with the Vikings didn't end well is because of injury. During his rookie season, he suffered a compound fracture in his lower left leg during their Week 4 game, causing him to miss the rest of the season.
Still, the fact that he failed to see defensive snaps upon his return is an indictment of his play.
Currently, Cine's chances of making even the Eagles' practice squad in 2025 seem long. Beyond Blankenship, veteran Sydney Brown, Tristin McCollum, and rookie Andrew Mukuba are all ahead of Cine on the depth chart.
Furthermore, Cine didn't receive much attention during OTAs and minicamp, which likely means he will have to have a very strong training camp to leave an impression. Given his past, that seems unlikely, meaning his days in Philadelphia may be numbered.