Given the importance of the deep safety in today’s NFL, it’s a bit bizarre that former Ravens safety Geno Stone could do no better on the 2024 open market than the two-year, $14 million contract he got from the Bengals.
It’s a great move for Lou Anarumo’s defense, which had been struggling at safety for a while, but when a guy plays in the deep third on 80% of his snaps and allows 28 catches on 42 targets for 197 yards, 145 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, seven interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 53.5…
Perhaps it was the fact that Stone had a rough season in 2022, or that he had limited snaps in his first two NFL seasons as a seventh-round pick out of Iowa in 2020, but there was no element of one-hit wonder in Stone’s game last season, and the Bengals reaped the rewards.
Some defenders rack up a ton of interceptions, but they're leaking oil in coverage otherwise. Geno Stone is not one of those defenders. Seven picks led all safeties last season, but he'll mean more to his next defense play-to-play. INTs can vary year to year; consistency counts. pic.twitter.com/nqT9ZhFUTk
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 8, 2024
