As he's about to begin his third training camp with the franchise, Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine is fully aware of the fact that he hasn't even come close to meeting the expectations he was given when the team selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Cine knows how crucial these next few weeks are going to be when it comes to not only his future with the Vikings, but to his career in the NFL as well. This was made clear when he was asked on Wednesday by KSTP's Darren Wolfson about the importance of his performance in Minnesota's training camp this summer.
"This is huge. This is 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."
Will Lewis Cine do enough in training camp to remain with the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 season?
After Cine didn't hold back when talking about how important these next few weeks are for him, the young safety shared continued to keep it honest when answering why he believes he has a lot to prove this summer.
" the NFL, you always got to prove yourself, day in and day out. Just because you get drafted first round, that doesn't mean you're just handed anything. You gotta understand that these are jobs. It's unfortunate that I broke my leg that's long behind me.
...So now, I just have to use this opportunity to show, 'Hey, I haven't lost a step. I'm still that same Lew that you guys drafted.'"
Heading into training camp, Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, and Josh Metellus are locked into the first three spots at the top of the Vikings' safety depth chart. In order to make Minnesota's final 2024 roster, Cine is likely going to have to outperform guys like Jay Ward, Theo Jackson, and NaJee Thompson.
Last year, the Vikings selected six safeties for their final 53-man roster, and Cine was one of them. However, Thompson switched his position from cornerback to safety this offseason, which added one more player for Minnesota's 2022 first-round pick to compete with this summer.
Currently, Thompson is on the Vikings' physically unable to perform list with a knee injury, and any time he has to miss during the next few weeks should give Cine some additional opportunities out on the practice field.
What exactly Cine chooses to do with these extra snaps will be up to him. Luckily, he knows that there is a ton riding on his performance this summer. So, perhaps this awareness will end up motivating him enough to play at a level that results in him earning a spot on Minnesota's final 2024 roster.