The Cincinnati Bengals defense could look much different in 2025.
With new defensive coordinator Al Golden inbound, one of the team’s most obvious cut candidates — Germaine Pratt — has already requested a trade.
It’s safe to wonder if a guy not much farther down that list like Geno Stone might be next.
Stone was Cincinnati’s latest attempt to fill the All-Pro void created when the team let Jessie Bates get away. That attempt came after first-rounder Dax Hill gave it a shot before switching to cornerback.
By most metrics available to outsiders, Stone flopped, and moving on would save the Bengals roughly $6.5 million in cap space.
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But many things influence such a decision. Stone’s play, like much of the overall unit, took an upswing last year when the defense got “simplified” down the stretch.
If Golden and Co. feel like that’s a sign of things to come if coordinated properly and with upgrades to the trenches, it’s easy to see them giving Stone another shot and seeing if he can produce some of that play from his Baltimore days that had them interested in him in the first place.
One also has to consider how feasible it might be to just go and get another rangy safety. It’s a mark in Stone’s favor that he has a year in the program now, which matters when the team is firmly in win-now mode and can’t necessarily wait for a newcomer or even rookie to develop.
Still, Stone having a top-10 cap hit in 2025 looks odd, all things considered. The guy behind him on the list (Pratt) is likely gone, as are the guys just in front of him on the list (Alex Cappa, Sam Hubbard, Sheldon Rankins).
If the Bengals make a move with Stone (and those guys), it figures to happen soon.