Should the Dallas Cowboys kick the tires on safety George Iloka?
The Dallas Cowboys need help at safety following a flurry of injuries. Could recently-released veteran safety George Iloka be the answer?
Following their second preseason contest of the year, an exhibition against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night, the Dallas Cowboys suddenly have a pressing need at safety. But could the answer come from the Bengals themselves?
After coming off their first preseason matchup against the San Francisco 49ers relatively unscathed, the Cowboys suffered numerous injuries on Saturday night against the Bengals. The biggest name being All-Pro guard Zack Martin, who now appears to have just avoided a serious knee injury.
But the biggest positional group to be hit by the injury bug against Cincinnati was at safety. Both Xavier Woods and Jameill Showers limped off the field during the Cowboys second preseason game. It is now a position that is painfully thin.
Although fans have been clamoring in favor of a trade for Seattle Seahawks’ disgruntled safety Earl Thomas for months, it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys being forced into making a major move like that over these injuries after months of silence.
Instead, it seems more plausible that the Cowboys would look to the free agent market to find a solution. And it so happens a recent move made by the Bengals could be the answer.
On Sunday, Cincinnati released six-year veteran safety George Iloka. The move believes to be more financially based, and not necessarily a comment on his play, as it saves the Bengals over $5 million in salary cap space. According to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, the Cowboys brass is showing interest in the new free agent.
The #Cowboys are considering taking at look at veteran safety George Iloka per a source informed. The former Boise State player would be in good company with alums like DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and Leighton Vander Esch currently on the roster. https://t.co/XMPn5oevDl
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) August 19, 2018
The 28-year old has been a steady force in the Bengals secondary since joining the team back in 2012 as a fifth-round pick out of Boise State. Iloka has a whopping 76 NFL starts under his belt and posted a career-high 80 tackles just last season.
Iloka actually played against the Cowboys Saturday night, recording two tackles. His release could be a blessing for Dallas, who are in desperate need for experience in their young secondary. And the fact is a native Texan (born in Houston) and a former Boise State alumni (which the Cowboys seem to prefer), adding him to their roster just makes way too much sense.
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The only drawback other than possible salary demands is the fact George Iloka appears to be a better strong safety. And what the Dallas Cowboys really need is a ball-hawking, rangy free safety. Still, with the market depleted, and considering Jeff Heath‘s playmaking ability, the Cowboys could be willing to sign an experienced player like Iloka and find a way to make it work.