Minnesota Vikings rookie safety Lewis Cine was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, but it wasn’t by the team he expected: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the NFL Draft, every fallen spot makes the difference: not just in rookie contract salaries, but also, in the potential promise of an NFL future.
Joining a roster led by Tom Brady in what’s believed to be his final NFL season would be historic, especially as a young safety ready to help out a Bucs secondary needing depth. For prospect Lewis Cine, this was his moment to become a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Then, the Bucs traded their No. 27 pick for No. 33, saying that the only person they even wanted in the first round was defensive end Logan Hall, the player they chose with the No. 33 pick.
According to Cine, that isn’t accurate: the Bucs told Cine they wanted him at No. 27, then traded that pick away.
“I had a team at twenty-seven,” Cine said. “They know who they are. I aint gonna’ say no names. It was at twenty-seven. The whole process — if you’re there — we’re gonna pick you. They move down to the first pick of the second round. I’m like, damn, they did me just so dirty.”
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) May 11, 2022
“They just did me so dirty,” Cine said, according to Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud.
Vikings rookie Lewis Cine claps back at Bucs for false promises during NFL Draft
Although this isn’t the first time an NFL team fell through on their draft promise, the Buccaneers have likely recalibrated during the offseason. The team signed free safety Logan Ryan, reuniting him with his former Patriots quarterback, and Mike Edwards is listed second on the Bucs depth chart, according to ESPN. With four free safeties on their roster, the Bucs prioritized defensive end with Jason Pierre Paul remaining unsigned.
Although the Vikings weren’t playoff contenders last season, their luck could change with Cine on their roster. Cine immediately has more opportunity to make an impact: the Georgia product is already listed as the No. 1 free safety on their depth chart, per ESPN.
For Cine’s future as a free safety, passing on him so that he could see more opportunity in Minnesota may have been doing him dirty while inadvertently doing right by his budding career.
