The Buffalo Bills filled their 17th and final practice squad spot by signing safety Lewis Cine on Thursday.
Cine was picked 32nd overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2022 draft and joins the Bills after being released by the Vikings on Tuesday. He broke his leg during his rookie season and played just 10 defensive snaps in 10 games over his two years with Minnesota.
The 24-year-old from Haiti is 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds. He had a standout college career at Georgia, where he was named defensive MVP in Georgia’s 33-18 win over Alabama in the national championship game in the 2021 season.
The Bills’ safety position has been unsettled this offseason as Buffalo tries to replace the seven-year starting duo of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde.
Veteran Taylor Rapp has secured one of the starting spots, while the other spot is still uncertain as the season opener against Arizona on September 8 approaches.
The situation became more complicated when veteran free agent Mike Edwards and rookie second-round pick Cole Bishop missed much of training camp due to injuries. Both resumed practicing last week, but it’s unclear when they’ll be fully cleared to play.
In another move, the Bills made a change to their practice squad by signing Jalen Virgil, who was released by the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, and releasing Deon Cain. Virgil, an undrafted free agent, spent two seasons with the Broncos and missed all of last year due to a knee injury.