NFL analyst believes the Minnesota Vikings should put a former first-round pick on the trade block

With roster cuts around the corner, NFL teams will make significant changes to get their roster down to the 53-man threshold. Players will be cut, but NFL teams are also no strangers to making trades to clear up roster spots or give a player a chance for a fresh start without outright releasing them.

The Minnesota Vikings have made one move this preseason, trading away former 2022 second-round pick Andrew Booth Jr to the Dallas Cowboys for 2021 third-round pick Nahshon Wright. The trade was a classic case of two players needing a change of scenery to try and get their careers back on track. However, the Minnesota Vikings have yet another player on their roster, and one NFL analyst believes the team could be shopping before the regular season begins.

2022 first-round pick Lewis Cine has not had the start to his career he envisioned. After battling a season-ending injury his rookie season, the former Georgia Bulldog has never found his footing with the Vikings. With a current safety room with five players ahead of him on the depth chart, it is safe to assume the 24-year-old will not be with the Vikings next season. Cine has been taking the majority of his snaps during training camp with the third-string defense and failing to make an impact to move himself up the depth chart this summer.

That being said, one NFL analyst believes the Vikings could be shopping Cine in a trade to try and get some form of value in return for the former first-round pick. Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report recently released his latest article, which reviewed one player each NFL team should put on the trade block this preseason. To nobody’s surprise, his selection for the Minnesota Vikings was Cine.

“It’s difficult to predict where Cine’s snaps will come from this fall.”, Fowler states in his article. “With Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and emerging talent Josh Metellus all presumptively locked into contributing roles as multi-level defenders, Cine’s snaps could solely come on special teams. Cine still has value on the market, particularly for teams that entered the draft process with high marks for his game.”

While the Vikings likely will not get much of a return on a Cine trade, the team could try to get at least something for the defensive back to an organization that believes they can help him reach his potential. With a likely release coming for the third-year player, an NFL team will likely not give up any significant assets for him. That being said, a parting of ways between the two parties looks likely and could happen within several weeks.

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