Cowboys will meet with George Iloka on Friday

Kaiser

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Heath doesn't get beaten like a drum. His coverage abilities are not as bad as many on this board make it out to be. No, he's not all world but he's also not as bad as many think.

Totally agree. Half the time fans rip on a DB for poor coverage it is because they are containing a play rather than getting beat one on one.

There was a play when Morris Claiborne was here where another player slipped and a WR had an easy catch. Claiborne left his man to make the tackle as soon as the ball left the QB's hand. We had a full week of fans ripping Claiborne for the play who said he got beat by five yards.
 

Sydla

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You gotta be able to get there before you can make a play. That's why everybody talks up Iloka's ability to play zone. He is limited in his ability to cover so all you really see him in is zone. Heath doesn't get beaten like a drum. His coverage abilities are not as bad as many on this board make it out to be. No, he's not all world but he's also not as bad as many think. Iloka is not the answer in my opinion but if that's what the Cowboys want to do, who am I to say. I just don't want to see the same threads about this guy, after we sign him because he is not a cover Safety and he will get schemed. Saw it too many times.

I have no delusions that this guy is somehow our solution at SS. He's going to get beat at times here for sure because he's a limited safety.

But he's a better run supporter than Heath, a role important in the Richard defense, and he's no worse in pass coverage than Heath either. So he's short term upgrade that will come cheap and hopefully will be upgraded at some point either during the season or next year by a draft pick from this draft.
 

dcowboysfan76

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Lol I know they are older now, but Heath's 40 time was 4.48, Iloka 4.66; now the obvious difference is athleticism which makes up for speed. In my opinion Ricard is trying to build a LOB in Dallas, and Iloka would best fit that at 6'4 - 225 (Kam Chancellor type) and he can bring the leather.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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I have no delusions that this guy is somehow our solution at SS. He's going to get beat at times here for sure because he's a limited safety.

But he's a better run supporter than Heath, a role important in the Richard defense, and he's no worse in pass coverage than Heath either. So he's short term upgrade that will come cheap and hopefully will be upgraded at some point either during the season or next year by a draft pick from this draft.

He is worse, IMO but we don't agree there. It's fine.
 

Denim Chicken

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The Cincinnati Bengals are releasing veteran George Iolka, who has started every game for the team since 2013, in a move to give second-round pick Jessie Bates an opportunity at immediate playing time and save them 6.2 million dollars. Iloka was in the third year of a six-year, $36-million deal signed in the 2016 offseason.

This move appears to be a bit of a head scratcher on the surface – Iloka has been steady (if unspectacular) during his reign as a starter aftering being selected with a fifth-round pick out of Boise State. He has averaged roughly 0.34 wins above replacement the last five years, never generating fewer than 0.26 (2016) and never more than 0.53 (2014). He’s been reliable in terms of availability as well, playing more than 715 snaps each of those seasons, and eclipsing 988 snaps in four of those five years. While coverage grades paint a somewhat-incomplete picture for deep safeties, he’s surrendered fewer touchdowns (seven) into his coverage than he has interceptions (nine), and passers earned only a 68.4 rating throwing at him a season ago.

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2018 was not exactly the best season for free-agent safeties, with Eric Reid and Tyvon Branch still looking for a job, and starting-caliber players like Tre Boston, Ron Parker, Kenny Vaccaro getting chances only after the offseason had grown old. Iloka is not as versatile as some of his contemporaries, playing almost 60 percent of his snaps a season ago at deep safety, but can no doubt help a team that has movable pieces at other parts of their secondary.
 

Kaiser

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The Cincinnati Bengals are releasing veteran George Iolka, who has started every game for the team since 2013, in a move to give second-round pick Jessie Bates an opportunity at immediate playing time and save them 6.2 million dollars. Iloka was in the third year of a six-year, $36-million deal signed in the 2016 offseason.

Iloka was due 8 Million in salary and roster bonuses for 2018, its no surprise they cut him if they had a high draft pick at the same position.
 

Rayman70

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guess we can hold our nose and sign him for a year. IF and only IF that's all we can find.
 

Killerinstinct

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I just don’t get it.

What’s the point of bringing these dudes in if we have no intention to sign them??

Do they turn on the Jeff Heath tape and say you guys don’t compare?


Maybe it is an effort to establish a relationship just in case they miss out on a S in the draft.
 

Bullflop

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I'm hoping the Cowboys FO finds a way to bring Iloka into the fold. He's ideally suited to fit Kris Richard's requirements for a safety to succeed. I believe he's more capable to supply the level of run support that Heath simply hasn't demonstrated to have within his capabilities. This is despite his value on special teams being well recognized as admirable.
 

CT Dal Fan

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I just don’t get it.

What’s the point of bringing these dudes in if we have no intention to sign them??

Do they turn on the Jeff Heath tape and say you guys don’t compare?

Iloka can still sign. He visited the Raiders earlier in the week and will now probably sleep on it and weigh his options.

Remember, Randall Cobb completed his visit and didn't agree to sign until over a day later.
 
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