With the Buffalo Bills safety room still recovering from injury, Brandon Beane made a move to bolster the safety depth, signing former first-round pick Lewis Cine to the practice squad Thursday.
Cine comes to Buffalo after a brutal leg injury his rookie year and uneven play that saw him nearly exclusively on special teams. Hoping for a fresh start, the Bills hope they can tap into the talent that made him a first round pick just two seasons ago.
Below is the full injury analysis for Lewis Cine.
Injury History
College
2020 Georgia
Left Ankle Injury, vs Kentucky, missed 0 games.
Concussion, vs Florida, missed 0 games.
Cine was ejected for targeting Kyle Pitts and suffered a concussion on the hit.
2021 Georgia
Abdomen Injury, vs Auburn, missed 0 games.
Cine was hit in the midsection and was forced to leave the game but did not miss any future games after the injury.
NFL
2022 Minnesota Vikings
Knee injury, preseason, missed 1 game.
Cine suffered a leg injury prior to the first game, appearing on the Thursday injury report before being designated as quesrionafion. He was intimately ruled out and did not make his NFL debut until Week 2.
Compound left tibia/fibula fracture, Week 4, missed 14 games.
Cine suffered a left leg injury in which he broke the distal tibia and fibula after his foot got caught in the turf in London. He required an extended stay in London as he had to undergo two surgeries to correct the damage, complicated by the fact that the bone poked through the skin, increasing the risk for infection.
Below is the injury if you care to watch.
2023 Vikings
Arm injury, preseason.
Hamstring injury, Week 4, missed 2 games.
Cine suffered a hamstring strain in the second half of the Week 4 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers, missing the next two games.
2024 Vikings
Hamstring injury, preseason.
Cine dealt with a hamstring strain early on in camp and it appeared to linger for some time as he fought for one of the last roster spots on the Vikings.
Injury Analysis
Cine has dealt with several injuries that are expected at his position, missing minimal time. The hamstrings are a moderate concern as they have been in back-to-back years and it’s not clear if it’s the same side either. He was able to return to play after some time off, but both instances sunk his ability to contribute. The first hamstring strain led to his continued diminished role on defense and the second one led to him getting cut. If he can spend time learning on the practice squad and give his body a little rest, he may avoid some of the recurring issues we see with soft-tissue injuries.
As for his leg, we all saw how gruesome it was but he has proven that he has shown the ability to return to play, even if only on special teams. I’m not too worried about his injury outside of arthritic changes later in life but I don’t expect that to give him problems this early on while he is with the Bills.
Cine’s biggest issue isn’t necessarily his injuries, but his ability to contribute at the next level. Having two defensive coordinators in two seasons hasn’t helped, but from what I’ve read, things haven’t clicked for him. Hopefully spending time on the practice squad will allow him to get fully healthy and better understand the defensive scheme in Buffalo. Guys like him get second and third chances because of the draft pedigree and with McDermott’s ability to squeeze talent out of the secondary, you can’t fault them for kicking the tires.
Unless Cine gets a deal too good to pass up elsewhere, I do expect him to see the field in a Buffalo uniform this season.
I wish Lewis Cine the best of luck this season and to remain healthy.
