The Bengals agreed to terms, according to multiple reports, with former Ravens safety Geno Stone on Monday to a two-year contract worth $15 million and a $6 million signing bonus.
Stone ranked 101st in Randy Mueller’s top 150 free agent rankings but was the first move of free agency for the Bengals.
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He’s not yet 25 years old and an ascending player in the mid-tier of free agency, the exact type of player Cincinnati has enjoyed success with in the past.
How he fits
Stone will fit as the starting safety next to 2023 third-round pick Jordan Battle. The Bengals were adamant about needing to stop explosive plays and increasing the football intelligence in a young defensive backfield.
Stone excels in coverage, picking off seven passes last year and only allowing 0.30 yards per coverage snap, according to Pro Football Focus. He ranked seventh out of 104 qualifying safeties in coverage grade last year. Last year’s free agent safety, Nick Scott, ranked 104th.
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2024 impact
Stone sends shockwaves through the defensive backfield, leaving in question the future position of 2022 first-round pick Dax Hill. The Bengals were non-committal to whether Hill should stay at safety after a rough debut in replacing Jessie Bates III last season. It was his first full season as a starter, but much of the blame in communication and explosive plays landed on his lap.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin stated Hill has the physical ability to play any of the defensive back positions, even outside corner. He primarily played slot at Michigan. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo stated he wanted Hill to get good at “one thing.” What exactly that will be with Stone in the mix is to be determined.
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History
Maybe the most important play of Stone’s career came last year in Week 2 at Cincinnati. Late in the game, he tricked Joe Burrow on a deep read in the red zone resulting in Stone’s interception that changed the game, an eventual Bengals loss. The play was lauded by Cincinnati’s staff and Burrow after the game. Stone’s savvy got them. They never forgot it. So in an offseason when they were looking for more of it, that moment (and his seven total picks) were hard to forget.
.@GenoStone22 INTERCEPTION ❗️❗️❗️
Tune in on CBS/@ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/AdeJ5sSJLV
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 17, 2023
The concern here would be tackling issues and that’s part of why he was had at a discount despite his coverage prowess. Of those 104 qualifying safeties last year, his 21 percent missed tackle rate ranked 95th. His rate is 18.8 percent for his career.
Cap update
The Bengals still have plenty of cap space remaining with only Stone and tight end Drew Sample (three years, $10.5 million) inked on Monday. They entered ranked in the top 10 in cap space and have more than enough room to stay active as the week continues.
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Outlook
The Bengals had to be better at safety. The loss of Bates and Vonn Bell hurt them more than they anticipated last season and the youth was a significant problem. With a year of seasoning for all the young safeties and corners and the playmaking from Stone, they should be in far better shape to avoid the big-play problems that doomed 2023.
Geno Stone felt like too perfect of a match for the pic.twitter.com/bllAq3QF3n
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 11, 2024
(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)