The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to sign Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
It’s a two-year, $15 million deal and features a $6 million signing bonus, per Ian Rapoport of NFL media.
Stone is coming off of a breakout 2023 campaign in which he played every game and racked up 68 tackles, seven interceptions and nine passes defended.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Iowa, was selected by the Ravens in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He appeared in just two contests during his rookie year and did not log a single statistic.
Stone then started getting some legitimate reps during his sophomore season, as he participated in 15 games and finished with 21 tackles and a pick.
Then, in 2022, Stone played in every game but still had a fairly limited role, registering 38 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
It wasn’t until this past season that Stone was able to carve out a clear niche in Baltimore’s secondary.
The Bengals could certainly use significant help across the board defensively, as they ranked 31st in the league in yards allowed in 2023. They also ranked 28th in pass defense.
Those issues played a major role in Cincinnati’s disappointing 8-9 campaign, although injuries to Joe Burrow and other key players were also clear factors in the Bengals’ postseason absence.
Cincinnati does have a ton of cap room going into the offseason, so it should be able to add some pieces in order to bolster its roster and get back into contention next year.
Geno Stone is a decent start.
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