UPDATE 10:45 A.M.
The Vikings have made the signing of safety George Iloka official. Read more here.
Original story
Big news for the Minnesota Vikings as free agent safety George Iloka is flying to meet with the Vikings today and is expected to sign, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“Whoa,” says Pelissero in his tweet. “One of the NFL’s best defenses about to get even better?”
Whoa. Free-agent safety George Iloka is on his way to Minnesota, and it appears likely he signs with the #Vikings today, per @RapSheet and me. Mike Zimmer connection from #Bengals days. One of the NFL’s best defenses about to get even better?
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 22, 2018
It’s huge news for the Vikings if he signs because Iloka is still just 28 years old and has been a rock-solid starter in the Bengals’ secondary for the past five seasons. He was released on Sunday in what NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says was strictly a financial move.
A stunner: The #Bengals are releasing starting safety George Iloka, per @MikeGarafolo and me. He’s started every game he’s played in since 2013. Purely a financial decision, but a 28-year-old safety hitting the market at this point is good news for interested teams.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 19, 2018
Iloka is listed at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and he knows how Mike Zimmer runs a defense since he played under Zimmer in Cincinnati his first three seasons in the NFL (2012-2014).
The Vikings have Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo lined up as the starting safeties, so it’ll be interesting to see how Zimmer uses Illoka in the rotation.
Remember, after drafting cornerback Mike Hughes earlier this year, Zimmer went on record saying he was hoping to get experimental with the defense this season by using more defense backs. Illoka might be the perfect fit for whatever Zimmer has brewing.
