The Vikings will meet with free agent safety George Iloka on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). They also hear that a deal is likely to happen, which would make one of the league’s best defenses even better.
Iloka and head coach Mike Zimmer have a relationship dating back to their days with the Bengals. If signed, Iloka may move from free safety to strong safety and supplant Andrew Sendejo in the starting lineup. With a starting safety tandem of Harrison Smith and Iloka and cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mike Hughes, the Vikings’ secondary would be especially tough for opposing quarterbacks.
Iloka, a 2012 fifth-round choice out of Boise State, was a fixture in the Bengals’ starting lineup for years. He has been quite durable as well, as he has played in 76 of a possible 80 regular season games and all three of the team’s playoff contests since 2013. Iloka isn’t an interception magnet, but he is a hard-hitting safety who can cover well in the middle of the field.
Last year, Iloka finished out with 79 total tackles and one interception. That was his second season at free safety after spending 2013-2015 at the strong safety position.
Almost makes too much sense.
Yikes..that sounds daunting for QBs around the league.