Bengals signing Geno Stone tabbed ‘steal of free agent class’

The Cincinnati Bengals got one of the steals of free agency by signing Geno Stone away from the Baltimore Ravens.

So says ESPN, where Matt Miller graded the move as an “A+” while pointing out that a weak safety class could mean one doesn’t get drafted over the opening two rounds:

This is the steal of the free agent class so far. Stone will be tied for the 11th-highest-paid safety in the game. Stone, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 draft, gets rewarded after four years of league minimum pay. The 24-year-old has eight career interceptions … but notched seven in 2023 alone, playing in new defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald’s scheme.

The Bengals desperately needed to find safety help after a disastrous year following the loss of Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates.

So arrives Stone, a rangy playmaker who can be on the field with Dax Hill and Jordan Battle. Or, he can play that deep Bates-styled role and Hill can move to the slot.

Plus, given the contract details we now know, it’s a savvy deal along the same lines as Chidobe Awuzie the front office has pulled off in recent years.

So good value at the right time, hitting a major need and taking from a divisional rival — it certainly feels like one of the better moves of free agency.