Although the Buffalo Bills don’t meet the New York Jets until Week 6 of this season, they have already defeated the division opponent in a significant way.
August 29, one day after NFL.com’s Eric Edholm revealed that former Minnesota Vikings first-round safety Lewis Cine had chosen to join with the New York Jets, Cine was added by the Bills to their practice squad.
Now, Cine will offer some much-needed depth at a position that witnessed major adjustments in Buffalo this offseason.
‘Change of Heart’ for Lewis Cine
Lewis Cine entered the NFL as the 32nd overall pick by the Vikings in 2022 but struggled to secure playing time. His rookie season was cut short by a leg fracture in Week 4, limiting him to just 10 defensive snaps over 10 games in his first two seasons, as reported by ESPN’s Rob Cimini.
Initially, it seemed Cine would join the Jets after his release from the Vikings, but he ultimately chose the Bills, joining their practice squad on Thursday. Jets general manager Joe Douglas mentioned that the 24-year-old defensive back simply had a “change of heart,” according to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.
Mike Garafolo noted that Cine, who was headed to Buffalo, had first leaned toward signing with the Jets but opted for a different AFC East team.
Cine had been highly regarded as a top prospect out of college, earning first-team All-SEC honors at Georgia in 2021.
Earlier in the week, the Bills and Jets made a rare trade, swapping late-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for undrafted rookie Brandon Codrington. This marked their first trade since 1987, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on August 27.
Bills Add Key Depth at Safety
The Bills experienced significant changes at the safety position this offseason, parting ways with their longtime duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. The team released Poyer in March as a cap-saving measure and allowed Hyde to explore free agency, although Hyde has hinted that he might be open to returning to Buffalo.
On August 28, Bills general manager Brandon Beane mentioned that the possibility of Hyde returning to the team is still on the table, though there have been no recent discussions about it.
“Nothing recent,” Beane said regarding contact with Hyde, as reported by SI.com. “We love Micah, and we haven’t closed the door on that, and as far as I understand, I don’t think Micah has either. We’ll stay in touch. Love Micah.”
To bolster their safety group, the Bills made some offseason investments by signing veteran free agent Mike Edwards and drafting Cole Bishop in the second round. However, both Edwards and Bishop missed significant portions of the offseason due to injuries, leaving the team with some uncertainty in their depth chart as the season approaches. The Bills may rely on fourth-year safety Damar Hamlin, who had limited playing time in 2023 and mostly contributed on special teams.
The Bills also lost leadership in other areas of their defense. In March, they released former All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White, who had missed substantial time over the past three seasons due to injuries.
Leave a Reply