With NFL cut day approaching, Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine appears to be looking at the 53-man roster from the outside.

Cine, a first-round pick in 2022, failed to live up to his high expectations in the draft, and his problems have now reached a point where his future with the Vikings is in jeopardy, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic ($).

Lewis praised Cine for delivering “his best performance as a Viking” in Minnesota’s Week 2 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns, but he believes that may not be enough to overcome the knockout crisis, even considering the potential financial consequences.

“Parting with (Cine) means taking a significant loss,” Lewis explained. “But the Vikings may be willing to pay the current tax for the future dividends of another young roster spot.”

Yet Lewis finds that Cine’s seemingly inevitable fate is as much a simple mathematical problem as it is related to his struggles.

The Vikings already have four safeties guaranteed to make the roster: Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson. In addition, 2023 fourth-round pick Jay Ward was a key part of the special teams last season, which gives him a good reputation. With that in mind, is Minnesota willing to keep Cine as a sixth option? Lewis has his doubts.

“Keep six (safeties), including (Jay) Ward and (Lewis) Cine, and selecting cornerbacks becomes nearly impossible,” Lewis said.

Last month, ESPN reported that Cine “appeared to be no better than the sixth safety on the roster,” echoing Lewis’ assessment.

An open fracture of Cine’s left leg in Week 4 of his rookie year limited him to three games in 2022, but he continued to play no role the following season.

In 10 games as a professional, Cine has produced one Career tackle on a measly 10 defensive snaps. His virtually nonexistent usage is alarming and suggests he is expendable should the Vikings be willing to cut their losses.

In the test game against the Browns, Cine recorded a total of 11 tackles (one of which was for a loss), two quarterback hits, a sack and a pass deflection. Despite his impressive performance, it may unfortunately be too little, too late for him.