In 2020, Stone was selected by the Ravens in the seventh round. During his stint, he was claimed by the Texans after spending his rookie season on the waiver wire. However, the 24-year-old did not receive any playing time in Houston and soon returned to the Ravens. Between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Stone made eight starts. This past season, he put in even more work.
Stone was swiftly re-signed by the Ravens to a one-year contract after they decided not to tender him as a restricted free agent during the previous offseason. The $1.76 million cost of that agreement turned out to be a good deal. In 2023, Stone recorded 68 tackles, nine pass deflections, and seven interceptions with an 82% snap share. These career-high stats have increased his market value and demonstrated his capacity to play defense for the first team.
Marcus Williams, a fellow safety, is already signed with Baltimore through 2026. While Stone and Williams have often started at the same time because of injuries sustained by Williams, former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald occasionally employed both players at the same time. Although Kyle Hamilton is a fellow safety and is still a rookie, the Ravens may be able to deploy a three-safety lineup in the future due to his versatility. Whatever the situation, Stone wants a full-time starting position on his next contract, no matter where it comes from.
“Business is business, but at the end of the day, Baltimore is home,” the Iowa graduate stated in an NFL Total Access interview. “Being in this league for this long, you are aware of that. I’ve experienced everything, particularly my first year. All I want is to be recognized and wanted someplace, or at least a starting point, whatever that may be. I only want my worth to be acknowledged.
The Ravens’ cap space is now little over $5MM, but several impact defenders are expected to go unclaimed. Justin Madubuike, a defensive tackle, is the star of that group and is expected to get the franchise tag soon. Another pending free agent is linebacker Patrick Queen. Like Madubuike, he seems like a higher priority in the offseason and should be able to command a larger price when the new league year starts next month.
Given his one year of standout production, Stone will likely be hard-pressed to join the group of 14 safeties averaging at least $10MM per year on his next contract. He will no doubt see a substantial raise from his $4.9MM in career earnings, though, as he eyes a commitment as a first-teamer moving forward. Whether or not that comes from the Ravens will be worth watching as the offseason unfolds.
