The Bengals will take a newcomer out of the picture after agreeing to a deal with Geno Stone, who made a significant addition on the back end. Safety Nick Scott will be let go by Cincinnati, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The team has announced that the relocation is now official.
Scott played his whole rookie contract with the Rams, ending with the team’s victory over the Bengals in the Super Bowl. He signed a $12 million, three-year contract with Cincinnati last summer as a result of that. But the 28-year-old will return to the free market after just a single year in the Queen City.
Scott has a $3.3MM 2024 due date, with a $1MM cap hit. Removing him right now would save $2.3MM in cap versus a $2MM dead money charge. By designating him as a post-June 1 release, the Bengals would not see the savings until June 2, since it would take $1MM from dead money to cap space. Regardless, Stone’s presence raised the possibility that Scott might be leaving this offseason.
In 2023, the latter started ten games, but Jordan Battle had supplanted him on the first team by November. Although Scott recorded 57 tackles and recovered a fumble, he gave up a 99.6 quarterback rating when in coverage. Cincinnati experienced a lot of secondary breakdowns last season, which played a role in the club’s decision to bring in Stone early in the negotiation window. On a two-year contract, the former Ravens draft pick signed a $15MM agreement.
Battle has three more seasons left on his rookie contract, and in 2024, he and Stone might be the starting lineup full-time. Dax Hill, a former first-round pick, is also included, though there have been concerns expressed about where he fits in the secondary. In the latter’s situation, Cincinnati will have to make decisions going forward, and Scott will join a crowded free agent safety class as a late entry.
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