Dallas Cowboys: What to expect from George Iloka

The Dallas Cowboys continue the low-risk, high reward trend with the signing of veteran safety George Iloka. Let us take a look at what his game entails.

After spending his college days with Dallas Cowboys‘ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore at Boise State, safety George Iloka was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Iloka spent his first six seasons with Bengals before signing with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason. He plays the safety position very conservatively.

Iloka will not get beat downfield but is not the ball hawk kind of safety that all Cowboys fans wanted. Iloka has only totaled nine interceptions in his seven-year career. At times, he does tend to get a little too deep, as it opens up the middle of the field for passing lanes. 

What Iloka does is best known for is his run stopping abilities and his IQ. Iloka rarely gets fooled by the play action, and when the ball is handed off, he has the quick closing speed to get to the ball carrier. Iloka has tallied 362 tackles in his career.

With the signing of Iloka, it could mean the end of the Jeff Heath era in Dallas. The pride of Saginaw Valley State University, Heath enraged fans what seemed to be every Sunday for six years. Then when you least expected it, he would make a play on the football reminding everyone why he actually has a job in the NFL.

Although the Dallas Cowboys might have missed out on the All-Pro safeties such as Earl Thomas and Landon Collins, the signing of George Iloka could benefit the Dallas defense in a big way. He might not be the player fans wanted, but he’s the player the team needed. Bringing his consistency to Dallas will upgrade a position that desperately needed it.