Cincinnati Bengals to steal ballhawking safety Geno Stone from the Baltimore Ravens in free agency
The first major domino of free agency has fallen for the Cincinnati Bengals.Per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Bengals plan to sign free agent safety Geno Stone. Per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, it's a two-year deal worth up to $15 million with a $6 million signing bonus. Cincinnati.com's Kelsey Conway reports the deal has […]
The first major domino of free agency has fallen for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Bengals plan to sign free agent safety Geno Stone. Per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, it's a two-year deal worth up to $15 million with a $6 million signing bonus.
Cincinnati.com's Kelsey Conway reports the deal has a base value of $14 million with an extra $1 million in incentives.
Stone was a seventh-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020. He emerged as a starter in Baltimore's vaunted defense in 2023 and ended up leading the NFL in interceptions with seven, including one on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
More than anything, it's a step in the right direction to get the Bengals.
What Geno Stone's arrival means for Nick Scott and Dax Hill
Stone immediately becomes the Bengals' starter at free safety. He spent nearly 70% of his snaps at free safety last year as a first-year starter. It's where he amassed the majority of his production.
Pro Football Focus graded Stone out at 85.3 in coverage, which ranked seventh among qualifying safeties in 2023.
With Stone locked in as the deep safety, it means 2022 first-round pick Dax Hill is moving closer to the ball within the Bengals' defense. Nearly 60% of Hill's snaps came at free safety in 2023, but he showed much more promise playing near and in the box.
Hill was drafted to replace Jessie Bates III at free safety, and signing Stone is a clear sign that the plan failed. Hill was more of a slot defender and overhang defender in college, which got him drafted in the first round by the Bengals in the first place.
This is not the end of Hill's time in Cincinnati, but for Nick Scott, that might be the case. Scott was signed last year to be what they now hope Stone to be, a veteran free safety to limit explosive plays. Scott never fit within the Bengals' defense, and will now likely be a salary cap casualty.
The Bengals are likely done with major moves in the defensive backfield outside of a surprising cornerback signing. Ben Standig of The Athletic reported that the Bengals had interest in Washington Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller.
Cincinnati Bengals Free Agency Tracker: New signings, re-signings, and everything else
All the latest updates on 2024 NFL free agency and the Bengals.
