Bills could look to familiar face to help with key roster issue just hours into the start of cutdown madness
A familiar face could be coming home.
It’s no mystery that perhaps the biggest cause for concern heading into the 2025 NFL season for the Buffalo Bills is the safety position. A familiar face in Lewis Cine, a former first-round pick selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2022 NFL Draft, was just released by the Philadelphia Eagles. Cine had joined the Bills’ practice squad after being released by the Vikings in 2024. He appeared in one game for the team during his stint, a Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Cine played in 16 snaps on special teams. Ultimately, he wound up on the Eagles after being signed directly off the Bills’ practice squad in January 2025.
Teams across the NFL have until Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 4 p.m. ET to trim their roster down from 90 to 53. With that, plenty of players across every position will become available to the organization if they choose to bite.
Now, pump the brakes. I’m not saying that Cine is better than Cole Bishop or Taylor Rapp, but he’s definitely an interesting prospect to put on the practice squad if nothing else. Cine won over some of the members of the Bills Mafia before even setting foot in Buffalo. The safety pulled a 180 after it was reported he was going to join the Jets’ practice squad and instead wound up in Buffalo.
Cine’s injury history and snap counts
A broken leg suffered during his rookie season had Cine fall short of expectations. In 2022, he played in only three games and was on the field for 36 snaps with two as a free safety, eight in kick coverage, 10 in kick return, seven in punt coverage, and nine in punt return. Important to note his abilities on special teams.
Despite breaking his leg, Cine played in seven games with 92 total snaps in 2023, once again weighing heavily toward special teams. On defense, he registered one tackle, appearing in the box for seven snaps, and only once as a free safety. On special teams, he played 26 snaps in kick coverage, 35 in kick return, seven in punt coverage, and 16 in punt return.
In 2024, he saw a sharp decline across the board, a telling sign that his days with the Vikings would soon be over. He amassed only 16 snaps, none at safety; it was no surprise that the team released him.
While it’s only the preseason, Cine was able to get even more meaningful reps as a defender and on special teams, once again. During the 2025 NFL preseason, he’s played a total of 49 snaps, at free safety, with seven snaps in the box, one in the slot corner, and 26 at free safety. He again demonstrated his versatility by adding 15 total snaps across kick return/coverage and punt coverage/return, with a couple on the field goal unit.
Breaking it down a little further, and for those of you who are into Pro Football Focus’s grading system, in 34 snaps on defense, he was a much better player in coverage. 24 coverage snaps saw him earn an 84.4 grade for defense and a 74.8 grade for tackling, and a 78.5 grade specifically for his coverage grades.
With Cine having two accrued NFL seasons, he’s subject to waivers. So he would have to be claimed on Wednesday or signed to the practice squad after clearing waivers.
Adding someone who is familiar with the system, who was taken from them last season, wouldn’t be surprising. With injuries, having some depth sitting on the practice squad is a good problem to have. With a lot of questions at the unit and plenty of players about to become available, don’t be surprised if the team picks up one or multiple players, even if it’s not Cine.
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