Last season, without veteran safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III, the Cincinnati Bengals struggled a bit at the position with Dax Hill, Nick Scott, and Jordan Battle. Now, the team — and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo — have done something major to shore that up. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Bengals have agreed to terms with former Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone on a two-year, $15 million deal with a $6 million signing bonus.
That’s a sweet deal for a player that led all safeties last season with seven interceptions, but Stone is about more than just picks — he was one of the stingiest deep-third defenders in the league, and he allowed 27 catches on 41 targets for 193 yards, 136 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, those seven interceptions, eight pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 53.3.
Stone should have had a more robust market in this free agent class, but it’s certainly to the Bengals’ advantage.
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