George Iloka - Pro Football Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Jaguars, Bengals, Ravens

March 8th, 2016 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Jerricho Cotchery is not in the Panthers’ 2016 plans, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Cotchery, 34 in June, hauled in 87 passes for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns over the last two seasons with Carolina. The veteran has said that he would only continue playing if it were with the Panthers, so it’s possible that the former Jet will retire this offseason. Cotchery is effectively a free agent with a contract that will automatically void tomorrow.

The latest free agent rumors:

The Jaguars are not close to done after agreeing to terms with Malik Jackson, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. The Jags are still interested in top pass rushers and corners.
Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) senses that the Bengals‘ priority guys are safety George Iloka and wide receiver Marvin Jones. Breer hears there is about $15MM budgeted for unrestricted free agents, which may not leave much room for others.
Saints free agent tight end Ben Watson is getting “strong, strong interest” from the Ravens, sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Dolphins are in pursuit of defensive end William Hayes, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. There is a strong market for Hayes, however, so Miami will have some competition to deal with.
Running back Lamar Miller wants an annual salary in the range of $6MM or more, which is more than the Dolphins would like to offer, Jackson writes.
The Vikings have checked in on Lions free agent linebacker Tahir Whitehead, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter).
The Raiders are working to retain wide receiver Andre Holmes but the sense is that he’ll get decent interest elsewhere, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.

Safety George Iloka Drawing Interest From Five Teams

March 7th, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Safety George Iloka has gotten serious interest from the Falcons, Giants, Lions, Vikings, and the incumbent Bengals, Jim Owczarski of The Enquirer tweets. Iloka is PFR’s top-rated free agent safety for the 2016 offseason.

Iloka, 26 at the end of the month, is poised to receive a nice deal this offseason thanks to his ability and young age. This past season, the strong safety appeared in 12 games (all starts) and recorded 47 total tackles with four pass deflections and one interception. Pro Football Focus (sub. required) rated Iloka as the 15th best safety in the NFL last year, placing him behind fellow unrestricted free agents Reggie Nelson and Rodney McLeod.

The Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, have long been connected to Iloka. Recently, it was reported that Minnesota would continue to pursue the safety hard, even after re-signing Andrew Sendejo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Manning, Vikings, Suggs, Jets

March 5th, 2016 at 9:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Peyton Manning‘s 2016 base salary of $19MM becomes fully guaranteed on March 9, and according to his agent, Manning knows that he needs to make a retirement decision before that date or risk being released by the Broncos. “There’s a time when the contract becomes guaranteed, so they’ll just have to make a move before then,” said Tom Condon on The Mighty 1090 in San Diego (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “He’s completely aware of the guarantee obligation from the club on a date certain, and he knows that there has to be some accommodation prior to that.”

Here’s a quick look at some news and notes from around the NFL:

The Vikings are expected to target several Bengals free agents, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, in large part due to head coach Mike Zimmer‘s familiarity with Cincinnati players — Zimmer was the Bengals’ defensive coordinator from 2008-13. According to Tomasson, Minnesota will look hard at safeties George Iloka and Reggie Nelson even after agreeing to re-sign Andrew Sendejo earlier today.
Ravens edge rusher Terrell Suggs was arrested in Arizona on Friday morning and charged with driving on a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident, reports Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. Both are seemingly minor offenses, but Zriebec notes that both can be tied to jail time in Arizona (though apparently the more common penalty is a fine). In a separate piece, Florio writes that the leaving the scene charge makes the situation appear more “ominous,” and he wonders if the league might look to impose discipline.
Pending further roster cuts, the Jets will enter the free agent period will less than $7MM to work with, leading Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News to observe that the club won’t be able to target high-priced free agents like it did in 2015. Affordable players like Ladarius Green or Alfred Morris might be more the Jets’ speed this year, opines Mehta.
This year’s receiver draft class is not expected to be special, leading Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link) to believe that clubs needing pass-catchers could overspend — and potentially, make mistakes — in free agency.
The Chiefs made a number of changes to their offensive staff following the departure of play-caller Doug Pederson, and head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link), tonight that assistant quarterbacks coach Corey Matthaei will be helping out in coaching the team’s offensive line this season.

Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman

February 29th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.

“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.

As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….

Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.

Lions Notes: Iloka, Ngata, Reiff, Ansah, Taylor

February 28th, 2016 at 4:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions plan to target Bengals safety George Iloka when the free agent period begins Match 9, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Cincinnati director of pro personnel Duke Tobin recently said his club would be “proactive” when it comes to re-signing Iloka and the team’s other free agents, but there’s no question the 25-year-old Iloka is set up for a big payday. PFR’s Connor Byrne pointed to Iloka as a possible solution for the Lions at safety in his recent preview of Detroit’s offseason.

Here’s the latest out of the Motor City, all courtesy of Birkett:

Free agent defensive lineman Haloti Ngata is “increasingly likely” to return to Detroit, per Birkett. The two sides reportedly aren’t far off in negotiations, and the Lions and Ngata’s representatives have until March 9 to work out what Birkett terms a “bridgeable gap.”
While general manager Bob Quinn last week said that Riley Reiff will remain with the Lions at $8MM+ salary, Birkett says that is not an indication the the club is sold on Reiff as its left tackle of the future. Quinn, in fact, would like to upgrade the position, but it’s unlikely that Detroit will be able to find a better option on the free agent market.
There’s no indication that the Lions will work out extensions with defensive lineman Ziggy Ansah or Devin Taylor this offseason, according to Birkett. Of course, the club doesn’t need to be in any rush, as it controls both players through the 2016 season (and realistically, through 2017 for Ansah, as Detroit hold a fifth-year option on the defensive end).
Punter Sam Martin, like Ansah and Taylor a member of the Lions’ 2013 draft class, has changed agents, which could be a sign that he wants a new deal, writes Birkett.
The Lions will be in the market for a receiver if Calvin Johnson follows through on retirement, and Birkett hears that the top free agent pass-catchers — outside of the franchise-tagged Alshon Jeffery, the class is headed by Travis Benjamin and Marvin Jones — are expected to target $6MM per year. For what it’s worth, a report earlier this month indicated that Jones would actually look for $7MM annually.

North Notes: Lions, Greenway, Bengals

February 25th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said at the combine this week that one of his main objectives this offseason will be to improve the team’s roster depth, though he’s somewhat wary of relying on the free agent market to fill those holes, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.

“The thing about free agency is you don’t really know who’s going to be available,” Quinn said. “I have a list of players like everyone else does, but these guys are getting signed every hour right now. There’s a couple guys I saw on NFL Network half an hour ago that just redid their contracts. So we’re prepared for all scenarios. We have the guys that we want to target at each level, different positions, across the board.”

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s North divisions:

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer expects Chad Greenway to return to the club in 2016, telling Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link) that the club thinks the veteran linebacker can still play. Greenway, a free agent, has said he’d like to re-sign with Minnesota for one more season before retiring.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters – including Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link) – that he’s hoping to retain free agent safeties Reggie Nelson and George Iloka this spring. The team is being “proactive” when it comes to trying to keep those safeties – and free agent wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu – off the open market, according to Tobin, who added that the Bengals will “spend resources” to keep their guys (Twitter link).
Tobin also said on Thursday that the Bengals love Adam Jones‘ passion and will try to re-sign the cornerback before he becomes an unrestricted free agent (Twitter link via Hobson).
Earlier today, we rounded up a few Browns rumors, passed along the latest on the Packers, and learned that running back Trent Richardson is expected to sign with the Ravens.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

North Notes: Bengals, Manziel, Bears

December 2nd, 2015 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Safety George Iloka is one of many key Bengals players who will be eligible for free agency this winter, creating some interesting decisions for the club once the season comes to an end. As Iloka tells Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer, he thinks that he and his fellow free-agents-to-be have handled the situation well.

“The approach hasn’t been, let’s all try to play individually and get paid the highest amount we can get paid,” Iloka said. “We look at it as, man, this is our last whoo-rah. Who knows who will be back and who won’t, but we are only guaranteed this year. I feel like we have a pretty good squad, we have been together for a long time and I just feel like this is it. If there’s a shot it’s this year. I think that’s been our approach more than, oh, let’s get paid because everyone knows if you make the Super Bowl everyone’s next contract is inflated. Getting to the Super Bowl and winning is our main goal, if you do that the money thing will take care of itself.”

In Dehner’s view, Iloka is one of six Bengals players who should be top priorities for the team this offseason, along with cornerback Adam Jones, wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, defensive end Wallace Gilberry, and linebacker Vincent Rey.

As we wait to see how the Bengals approach their offseason, let’s round up a few more items out of the NFL’s two North divisions….

Asked today if Johnny Manziel might want out of Cleveland, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said he’s seen “no indication of that,” adding that talks with Manziel have been good (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com).
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an interesting look at a number of players around the NFL whose performance – or simply ability to stay healthy – could make them some extra money this season, via incentives. One such player is Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who will profit greatly if he’s able to have more postseason success than he had in his first four NFL seasons.
Bears chairman George McCaskey sat down for a Q&A with Dan Pompei, and discussed several past decisions, including multiple general manager and head coach changes, the signing of Ray McDonald, and the release of Jeremiah Ratliff.
In a piece for The Sporting News, former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond says that if he were still running his old club, and could’ve received anything close to fair value, he would’ve traded Adrian Peterson in the offseason. As Diamond explains, the Vikings may not have had the same on-field success this year without their star runinng back, but moving him would’ve sent a “strong message” about the team’s expectations off the field.

North Notes: Peterson, Ihedigbo, Gipson

April 20th, 2015 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Of all the players who didn’t report to their respective teams’ initial offseason workouts today, perhaps the least surprising name on the list is Adrian Peterson. After being reinstated last week, Peterson is said to be seeking a trade, a new contract, or both. Ben Goessling of ESPN.com confirms (via Twitter) that, as expected, the star running back didn’t attend the first day of the Vikings‘ voluntary spring workouts.

While we wait to see who blinks first in the standoff between Peterson and his longtime team, let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFL’s two North divisions, including updates on a couple other players who didn’t report today….

Every Lions player except for safety James Ihedigbo was in attendance for the first day of the club’s voluntary training program, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Ihedigbo’s absence doesn’t come as a shock, since we heard a couple weeks ago that he was looking for a new contract from the Lions.
Browns safety Tashaun Gipson is another player that didn’t report to his team’s voluntary program today, as Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group details. Gipson’s situation is a little different — he received a second-round RFA tender from Cleveland last month, and wasn’t overly thrilled about that. He can still negotiate with other teams that might be interested in signing him to an offer sheet, but he’s running out of time, and any potential suitor would have to part with a second-round pick to land him.
A.J. Green tells Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (all Twitter links) that his reps and the Bengals talked at the combine about a possible contract extension. However, he’s in no hurry to get something done, and its content to play out his fifth-year option year if necessary. Harvey adds that Marvin Jones, George Iloka, and others whose contracts expire after 2015 also seem fine with playing out the season on those deals.

2015 Proven Performance Escalator Raises

January 16th, 2015 at 8:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time in said snaps for the duration of his first three years in the league. If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s restricted free agent qualifying offer — that figure was $1.431MM last year, and will inflate commensurate with the salary cap increase. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their 2015 salary rise due to the PPE, courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.

Bengals: George Iloka, S; Mohamed Sanu, WR

Bills: Nigel Bradham, LB

Broncos: Malik Jackson, DL; Danny Trevathan, LB;

Browns: Billy Winn, DL

Cardinals: Bobby Massie, T

Chargers: Johnnie Troutman, G

Colts: Dwayne Allen, TE; T.Y. Hilton, WR

Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB; Olivier Vernon, DE

Eagles: Brandon Boykin, CB; Nick Foles; QB

Falcons: Lamar Holmes, T

Jets: Demario Davis, LB; Antonio Allen, DB