Eagles Release Former 1st-Round Safety Despite Preseason Flashes

Philadelphia’s busy roster shuffle continued on Sunday. Just hours after acquiring quarterback Sam Howell, the Eagles made another move—this time in the secondary—by parting ways with an injured safety whose career has been derailed by setbacks.

The move was part of Philadelphia’s effort to trim the roster ahead of Tuesday’s final cutdown to 53 players. The team is expected to place the safety on injured reserve should he clear waivers, with an injury settlement also a possibility.

Once viewed as a high-upside athlete out of Georgia, he entered the league as a first-round pick in 2022. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 200 pounds, his 4.37-second 40-yard dash turned heads during the pre-draft process. Yet injuries—from a devastating leg fracture as a rookie to recent groin issues—have prevented him from finding consistent success at the NFL level.

That safety is Lewis Cine, a former Minnesota Vikings selection whom the Eagles had signed to their practice squad in January. Cine spent last season on Philadelphia’s roster during their Super Bowl LIX run, but struggled to climb the depth chart.

Cine was buried behind projected starters Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown, along with promising rookies Drew Mukuba, Tristin McCollum, Andre Sam’, and undrafted standout Maxen Hook. Despite returning for limited action in the preseason finale against the Jets—where he logged 10 defensive snaps and grabbed an interception—his flashes weren’t enough to secure a role.

With cutdown day looming, Philadelphia appears set to move forward with a younger, healthier safety group. As the season nears, the Eagles’ secondary will lean heavily on Blankenship, Brown, Mukuba, and McCollum, while versatile defensive back Cooper DeJean provides additional depth.