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Eagles Release Former 1st-Round Safety Despite Preseason Flashes

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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.

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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.

INJURY UPDATE: Packers HC Matt LaFleur Explains Brandon McManus Injury Concern Comments
Green Bay Packers fans, show your Cheesehead pride! Snag the latest jerseys, caps, and gear to back Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs, and the Pack as we hunt for another Super Bowl. Get yours now and let’s go, Green Bay! SHOP NOW After enjoying a red-hot start to the 2025 campaign, the Green Bay Packers have suffered a pair of odd results over their past two games, losing to the Cleveland Browns before tying the Dallas Cowboys. After getting some time off during their Week 5 bye week, the Packers will have a great opportunity to get back in the win column in Week 6 when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Green Bay may be heavy favorites heading into this game, but they were recently dealt a concerning injury update regarding kicker Brandon McManus. On Friday, head coach Matt LaFleur addressed his situation and whether or not the team expects him to be able to play in their upcoming game. Matt LaFleur Dishes on Brandon McManus’ Injury McManus is in his second season with the Packers, and he’s generally held up well as the team’s kicker. He has made seven of his nine field goal attempts, while also nailing 11 of his 12 extra point attempts. McManus hit a clutch kick at the end of overtime in Week 4 against the Cowboys to help his squad escape with a tie after they very nearly ran the clock out on themselves. During the week, McManus picked up a quad injury that has thrown his status into doubt. Considering how the Packers don’t have another kicker at their disposal, this is a bit concerning, because if McManus can’t go, they will be in a tough spot. To this point, though, Green Bay hasn’t made a move to bring another kicker to town. When speaking about his injury earlier in the week, McManus made it clear that he doesn’t think it will impact his Week 6 status. LaFleur had a different viewpoint on Friday, though, as he said that the team is going to keep tabs on McManus’ status before ultimately deciding whether or not he can play through this injury on Sunday. “I was trying to tell him, ‘Yeah, you’ve dealt with this. Well, we haven’t, and I haven’t, in my experience,'” LaFleur said in response to McManus’ comments on his injury status. “You’re a kicker, and your leg is bothering you. That’s a problem. It’s no different than a quarterback that has something with their throwing arm or throwing shoulder, that is a concern. Whether or not you can work yourself through it or not, time will tell.”