5 takeaways from Vikings' 53-man roster: Lewis Cine cut, young DTs make it

The Vikings reportedly tried to trade Cine but couldn't get a deal worked out.

Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell (left) and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah react during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis Cine, the first draft pick of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell era two years ago, was waived by the Vikings on Tuesday. Let's dive into that and four other things that stood out on Minnesota's initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season.

Cine waived

The Vikings reportedly tried to trade Cine on Tuesday, but to no avail, so they decided to move on from the 2022 first-round pick out of Georgia. He still has $4 million left on his contract, which will be dead money for the Vikings unless another team claims him on waivers. Whether he's claimed or not, Cine seems almost certain to end up signing elsewhere for a fresh start.

It just didn't work out for him in Minnesota. Cine's NFL career got off to a rough start when he suffered a major leg injury as a rookie, and he simply struggled to emerge in a deep safety room after that. Even a big second preseason game against the Browns this month wasn't enough to secure a spot on the Vikings' roster (or result in a trade).

It wouldn't be all that surprising to see the 24-year-old latch on somewhere else and carve out a role for himself in the league.

Fellow 2022 draft picks survive for now

Cine and second-rounder Andrew Booth Jr., who was traded to the Cowboys earlier this month — and made their 53-man roster — are gone from Adofo-Mensah's first draft class. But at least for now, third-rounder Brian Asamoah II and fourth-rounder Akayleb Evans are still on the team.

Also, for all the struggles of the defensive players the Vikings picked in that class, there are four 2022 draftees on offense who made the 53 this year: Ed Ingram, Ty Chandler, Jalen Nailor, and Nick Muse. Muse was a seventh-round pick who beat out Robert Tonyan and N'Keal Harry to make the team in his third season.

Young defensive tackles make it

At defensive tackle, the Vikings waived veteran Jonah Williams and second-year player Jaquelin Roy, opting to keep three newcomers who had to earn their spots this summer. Seventh-round pick Levi Drake Rodriguez, undrafted rookie Taki Taimani, and former UFL player Jalen Redmond all made the initial cut for Minnesota. Rodriguez was a lock after a strong camp, while Taimani and Redmond took full advantage of their opportunities in preseason action.

The roster is going to change this week, but for now, those are some good underdog stories.

McGlothern another UDFA success story?

The Vikings struck UDFA gold last year with Ivan Pace Jr., and they may have done it again this year with cornerback Dwight McGlothern. The former LSU and Arkansas standout made the roster after shining throughout training camp and the preseason. He can cover and he can make plays on the ball, which are useful traits. McGlothern might not play much this year barring injuries, but his future could be bright.

McGlothern and Taimani were the two undrafted rookies who made it, but don't forget about Gabriel Murphy. The Vikings used one of their two short-term IR spots on Murphy, who is recovering from a knee injury.

Only two RBs on the team?

The Vikings waived DeWayne McBride and Mo Ibrahim on Monday. They cut Myles Gaskin and Kene Nwangwu on Tuesday. That leaves just Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler as the only running backs on the roster.

They could bring one or two of those players back to the practice squad and elevate them for depth early in the season, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see the Vikings look to add another RB in the coming days. Waiver claims and practice squad moves and many other transactions are coming on Wednesday.

The decision to waive Nwangwu also raises the question of who the Vikings' kick returner is going to be this season.