3 losers from the first three weeks of Vikings 2024 training camp

The Minnesota Vikings are heading down the home stretch of training camp and with Saturday’s preseason opener at the Las Vegas Raiders, there are some clear winners and losers.

The winners have been prevalent throughout the first three weeks of camp, but some players haven’t exceeded expectations. These players could be fighting for a roster spot but some have just weakened their chance at starting or could unsuspectedly be on the roster bubble in a few weeks.

Here are a few players who have seen their stop drop and what it means as the Vikings head into the preseason.

3 losers from the first three weeks of Minnesota Vikings training camp

Lewis Cine - S

This was a big camp for the much-maligned 2022 draft class but an even bigger one for Lewis Cine. The 32nd overall pick in the draft was already controversial after the lack of value the Vikings received in trading down from the 12th overall pick but the groans have become amplified due to his struggles on the field.

Cine had a mulligan after suffering a broken leg in his rookie year but didn’t show progress in his second year. After being an inactive player for most of the second half of last season, Cine needed to show something but has been usurped by Bobby McCain, who wasn’t even on the roster when training camp began.

Cine has already missed time this summer due to a minor leg injury and he feels like more of a trade/cut candidate than a depth piece. With the safety room also filling up, it feels like his days in Minnesota are numbered.

Andrew Booth Jr. - CB

Another pick in the 2022 draft, Andrew Booth Jr. has also needed to have a strong camp this year. His streak of injuries from high school has continued after the Vikings made him a second-round pick and he hasn’t been able to get in the good graces of Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

The path for Booth to prove himself opened up during camp with injuries to Mekhi Blackmon and Shaquil Griffin, but Booth hasn’t taken advantage of their absences as he's been playing behind UDFA Dwight McGlothern and free agent pickup Fabian Moreau in practice.

Booth came into camp with a big opportunity considering the Vikings’ depth at cornerback but seems to have fumbled it away. He’ll need a big preseason to make the roster or he could be traded to make up for Minnesota's lack of draft picks in 2025.

Andre Carter II - OLB

Many were fired up to get Andre Carter II as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 draft, but unlike his UDFA classmate Ivan Pace Jr., Carter has yet to make an impact. Carter bulked up to 6-foot-6 and 256 pounds after spending a “redshirt” year with the Vikings, but he still hasn’t stood out, especially when it comes to collapsing the pocket. 

The Vikings considered him a project player, and he was a potential first-round pick in the process leading up to the draft, but he's had an uphill climb in camp this year with the additions of Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and rookie Dallas Turner this spring.

Now Carter has fallen behind a new wave of UDFAs, including Gabriel Murphy and Owen Porter, which could leave him on the bubble as Minnesota enters the preseason.

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