Bengals free agent signing named top 10 move of NFL offseason

The Cincinnati Bengals made a plethora of additions in free agency this year, but one stands out as especially excellent. Cincinnati needed some help in the secondary, specifically at the safety spots, and they got that in Geno Stone, who left the Baltimore Ravens to sign a two-year deal with the Bengals.

Stone, 25, led the AFC in interceptions last season, and his addition should provide the Bengals with a defensive playmaker on the back end. As a result, the Stone signing was named as one of the 10 best moves of the offseason so far by Bleacher Report.

Stone figures to be a starter from Day 1 in Cincinnati, and he should be able to have a large impact on the team's defense as a result.

From Bleacher Report:

"Paying for a breakout year always carries risk, but the Cincinnati Bengals appear to have spent wisely on Geno Stone. He accepted a two-year, $14 million agreement after collecting 68 tackles and seven interceptions in 2023. Stone is a tremendous on-paper addition to a defense that yielded a league-worst 8.1 yards per pass attempt last season."

A leadership role for Stone

Along with veteran safety Vonn Bell, who the Bengals brought back in free agency, Stone will be looked to provide leadership to what is a relatively young secondary in Cincinnati, and he's ready and willing to embrace that role.

“On the back end, get everyone lined up, we make the big plays and being leaders in the back end,” Stone said. “You know, I play next to more the vet side of the room right now with me and Vonn probably leading. It’s kind of weird.

"I haven’t been an older guy in the room my whole career and now I’m like probably the second oldest in the room, maybe third behind Mike (Hilton)," he added. "It’s kind of weird. But that’s the main thing being leaders on the back end, making sure everyone’s doing their job, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Obviously, we'll have to wait to see how impactful Stone is out on the field, but on paper, his addition is an excellent one for the Bengals.