Hasn't Paid Off: Geno Stone, Safety
When it was revealed that former Raven Geno Stone was going to become a Bengal, fans were excited for the new addition. The thought was that Stone would be an important asset for the defense after some key losses in recent years. It was an added bonus that Stone was a Raven previously and the Bengals were able to steal him away from a division rival. However so far, Stone has not delivered for this defense as expected.
The defense has struggled collectively this season, and arguably, the combinations on the field haven’t been working and have cost the team yards and even games. As of yet, Stone really hasn’t had huge plays to his name in Cincinnati. Sure, he has a decent number of solo tackles, but based on his season last year, fans were expecting more of a defensive playmaker. After all, he led the entire AFC in interceptions last season.
Hopefully Stone can turn into a key asset that can help boost the Bengals defense, but he isn’t there currently, so this new addition has yet to pay off.
Paid Off: Zack Moss, Running back
Out of all of the new 2024 player additions, Zack Moss had the most to prove, and arguably was under the most pressure to succeed. Joe Mixon’s departure to Houston was big news, and it left large shoes to fill for the running back position. Luckily, Moss has fit in well in Cincinnati and has paired well with Chase Brown. Both guys have been able to deliver in the run game, albeit with relatively limited opportunity.
Moss was able to score the first touchdown of the regular season against the Patriots in the third quarter of Week 1, and he also helped contribute to the team’s first win which came in Week 4 against the Panthers. In that game, Moss was able to score a touchdown on a third-and-goal to put the Bengals up 21-14 in the second quarter. On the season, he has 350 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns. That's decent value considering the two-year, $8 million deal he signed in Cincinnati.
Brown has also played very well for the Bengals, but his positive production doesn't mean that Moss hasn't been a positive addition, too. On the contrary, Moss has proven to be a consistent asset for the offense so far, and has been one of the 2024 new additions that has paid off. Moving forward, the Bengals would probably benefit from leaning into the ground game a bit more.