The Indianapolis Colts' free-agency exodus continues. Starting safety Nick Cross left to join the Washington Commanders, leaving a huge void in Lou Anarumo's defense. To add insult to injury, Rodney Thomas II, his backup, also left town.
With most of the top-market options already finding new homes and no first-round selection, the Colts are now scrambling to find a suitable replacement. As such, they might consider rolling the dice on a young player with familiarity with Anarumo's system.
Geno Stone is a free agent, and it doesn't seem like the Cincinnati Bengals are in a rush to retain him. Spotrac projects his next contract at one year and $7.6 million, so he could be an affordable stopgap for the Colts.
Geno Stone can be a high-upside gamble for the Indianapolis Colts
Colts played for Anarumo in 2024, the Colts' defensive coordinator's final year in Cincinnati. Just like everybody not named Trey Hendrickson on that defense, he struggled mightily. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave him a 53.1 grade, the worst of his career. That said, context matters, and while that looks terrible in a vacuum, that Bengals defense was just brutal.
Stone entered last season as a prime bounce-back candidate, but it was more of the same. He was a bit of a mixed bag, giving up just 22 catches with two interceptions, but with a passer rating of 109.5 when targeted and 14.5 yards allowed per reception. He had 25 run stops and 79 solo tackles (seventh-most among safeties), but also missed 23 tackles, per PFF.
That said, he looked like a rising star in Baltimore, especially in 2023 when he gave up just 7.0 yards per reception, had seven picks, and quarterbacks had a passer rating of 53.5 when going against him. He's just 26 years old and might only need a change of scenery to return to his good ways.
Anarumo's defensive schemes are complex, and it takes time to get up to speed. Stone can get a jumpstart on that, and with the lack of high-end options available in the market, he might be the safest bet at this point.
Given how he's struggled over the past couple of seasons, the Colts can probably get him on a one-year "prove it" contract, so there's little downside to this move if things don't work out. If not, they'll either have to trust a late-round draft pick or rotational pieces like Daniel Scott, Juanyeh Thomas, or Reuben Lowery III, which is clearly far from ideal.
Update: Geno Stone has a greed to terms with the Buffalo Bills, but not yet signed his deal. Maybe the Colts can steal him away (though not likely).