Bucs Nearly Picked Top Safety

It appears that the Bucs were very high on Georgia safety Lewis Cine. And if they hadn’t traded the No. 27 overall pick in last month’s draft, it could’ve been the former Bulldog becoming the newest addition to the Tampa Bay secondary.

Appearing on the Richard Sherman Podcast via PFF, Cine said the Bucs told him they would take him in the first round if he was still there late. Maybe they thought they could still get Cine at the No. 33 pick, the pick they ultimately netted when they traded out of the first round.

Cine ended up getting selected by the Vikings with the No. 32 overall pick. Speaking on the podcast, he was none too happy that the Bucs glossed over him.

“I had a team at 27, they know who they are,” Cine said. “I ain’t got to say no names, it was at 27. The whole process – if you’re there we’re going to pick you – ‘Okay.’ They move down to the second round, first pick of the second round and I’m like ‘Damn, they just did me so dirty.’ And then I’m like ‘Alright, if I don’t go today, it is what it is.’”

Moving to the second round did not ensure that the Bucs got Cine, as he went one pick earlier in the first round. They did get another player on their radar in Houston defensive tackle Logan Hall. With practices coming up soon, Hall will have an opportunity to start at defensive tackle next to Vita Vea.

The only player in the secondary who the Bucs drafted was cornerback Zyon McCollum in the fifth round. Tampa Bay must feel confident enough with the safety group it has. That consists of Antoine Winfield Jr., Mike Edwards, Keanu Neal and Logan Ryan, who will also play nickel corner.

You can watch the entire episode of the Richard Sherman Podcast with Cine’s appearance here.

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