Lewis Cine ready to 'ball out' in Year 3: 'I have not lost a step'

Cine may need a huge training camp and preseason to simply make the 53-man roster.

Lewis Cine / Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Lewis Cine says he has not lost a step since suffering a devastating injury in the Vikings-Saints game in London during his rookie season in 2022. Now in his third season, the former first-round pick is considered by many to be a long shot to make the 53-man roster.

"I think I'm just looking forward to just balling with no thinking," Cine told KSTP's Darren Wolfson at the ahead of Wednesday's first training camp practice. "I think a certain thing about being in two defenses being a safety is the mental aspect of the game and clicking. When you're the last line of defense you gotta be on your T and be able to communicate and get in and out. I feel a lot more comfortable with me communicating with my teammates and being where I need to be."

As a rookie, Cine had to learn Ed Donatell's defensive scheme. In his second year, while working his way back from the broken leg he suffered as a rookie, he was tasked with learning a new scheme under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. This season marks his second in Flores' system.

How big is this training camp? Cine knows he has to prove he belongs.

"It's huge, it's huge for me on a personal note. I think I really gotta show out and really ball out and prove why I should be here and why I deserve to be playing in the NFL," Cine told Wolfson.

Asked if he's positive that he hasn't lost a step, Cine replied: "I have not lost a step, no."

"It's unfortunate that I broke my leg. That's long behind me," he said. "I got the opportunity to learn the defense and not be rushed where something bad could happen again, so now I just have to use this opportunity to show that I haven't lost a step and I'm that same Lew that you guys drafted.

"I haven't lost a step." #Vikings safety Lewis Cine told our @DWolfsonKSTP following a team walk-through today.

Cine enters his third training camp after being the Vikings' first-round pick in 2022. @JoeSchmitKSTP will be live from camp at 5, 6, and 6:50p on @KSTP. pic.twitter.com/hJki0SipKx

— KSTPSports (@KSTPSports) July 24, 2024

Earning a roster spot as a safety won't come easy for Cine. He may be buried on the depth chart behind Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Cam Bynum, Theo Jackson and perhaps even Jay Ward.