evaluating the Cincinnati Bengals’ most significant free-agent signings thus far this season.

Early in the offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals have been rather active in free agency. The front office has been using the substantial cap space that the team has been working with to address some critical areas of need.

The Bengals have signed the first wave of free agents, though they are probably not quite finished with summer transactions. It appears that the time is now to evaluate Cincinnati’s most significant acquisitions to date. This is how they seem.

Analyst Matt Miller of ESPN NFL Insiders rated this signing as “A+” and referred to it as the “steal of the free agent class” thus far. And that makes sense. Stone should provide the Bengals the much-needed secondary support they sorely needed. Thus, Stone’s signing may end up having just as much of an influence as any offseason decision Cincinnati makes. It also helps that they took him from a competitor in the division.

Stone led the AFC in interceptions during the previous season, demonstrating his ability to force errors. He made a significant difference in Baltimore’s secondary during the previous campaign, and there’s no reason to think he can’t do the same with the Bengals.

This move raises more questions than it answers. Joe Mixon, who was sold to the Houston Texans in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick, will be replaced by Moss. After completing his fourth season of 1,000 yards or more, Mixon has been a key member of Cincinnati’s offense for the previous seven years.

In contrast, Moss is coming off of his best season to date in which he ran for over 1,000 yards in a season. For the Colts last season, Moss had 183 carries for 794 yards and five touchdowns; all of those totals were career highs. In addition, he scored two additional scores and 27 receptions for 192 yards.

The Bengals made a cost-cutting decision by parting ways with Mixon, but it will be interesting to see if Moss can make a comparable impact in Cincinnati’s backfield. In any case, $4 million a year is a fair price for a running back, so the Bengals didn’t overpay for him.

Given that Gesicki has consistently produced throughout his career, this is a wise addition for a club that needed some depth at the tight end position. Over his career, Gesicki has scored 20 touchdowns and never had fewer than 20 receptions and 200 receiving yards in a single season.

Gesicki should thus give the Bengals a dependable pass-catcher and a legitimate red zone threat. He also signed for a reasonable price, so the Bengals may still add another tight end if they so want. Drew Sample has already been re-signed by the organization, and Tanner Hudson may also return. Gesicki is a low-risk, high-reward move for Cincinnati considering the size of the deal.