CBS says Bengals made one of the smartest NFL free agency moves

Cincinnati brought in a young star at a great price tag

The Cincinnati Bengals made another large splash in free agency this year.

The Bengals brought in guys like Geno Stone, Zack Moss, Mike Gesicki, Sheldon Rankins, Vonn Bell, and Trent Brown to help fill holes in the current roster.

One free agency move has earned some major recognition from CBS Sports…

The signing of Geno Stone was labeled as one of the smartest NFL Free Agency moves this year by CBS Sports.

Stone to the Bengals came in at No. 3 in the top five smartest moves.

In a deep safety market, paying Stone $7 million a year appears to be one of the best deals in free agency. Stone had a career year with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, having seven interceptions as the beneficiary of playing next to Kyle Hamilton.

Stone had an excellent season, as opposing quarterbacks completed 60.5% of their passes with a 40.9 passer rating targeting Stone (only having two touchdowns). He had nine passes defensed while playing both free and strong safety.

Based on the structure of the contract, the Bengals are taking a one-year gamble on Stone (they only have a $1.5 million dead cap hit in year two of the deal if they decide to cut him). A big year from Stone will significantly increase his value, as his best football is still to come at just 24 years old.

Stone, a former Iowa standout, has battled his way to a good payday after being drafted in the seventh round by the Ravens back in 2020. He played in 15 games in 2021 before playing in all 17 games in 2022 and 2023.

The former Raven was stellar in 2023, tallying 68 tackles and an NFL-high (by a safety) seven interceptions.

Stone was a stellar signing for the Bengals, helping fill in some much-needed veteran help in the secondary.

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