Cincinnati Bengals release safety George Iloka
Another veteran safety is on the free agent market after the Cincinnati Bengals released George Iloka
In a surprising move on Sunday afternoon, the Cincinnati Bengals released veteran safety George Iloka.
A fifth-round pick in 2012, Iloka started 76 games for Cincinnati with nine interceptions and 230 tackles.
According to Spotrac, Iloka carried a $6.2 million cap hit this season with $5.6 in yearly cash earnings. The 28-year-old had three years remaining on his contract with Cincinnati and carried several per-game bonuses throughout the deal.
This move paves way for rookie safety Jessie Bates, a second round pick out of Wake Forrest, to get more playing time. Drafted 54th overall this year, Bates had six picks and 177 tackles in two seasons, and was becoming a favorite of coaches in camp.
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With Bates on the free agent market, the list of available safeties becomes even deeper. Mike Mitchell, Quintin Demps, TJ Ward, and Eric Reid are the most notable veteran safeties available in a market that has not budged for most of the offseason. Kenny Vaccaro recently signed with the Titans after Jonathan Cyprien went down for the season.
Iloka shouldn’t be stuck on the open market for long given his nose for the football and years of reliability on the field. Dallas is one possibility despite their reported efforts to acquire Earl Thomas from the Seahawks.
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I’d imagine Iloka goes off the board fast, but with the offseason safeties have had it could be a couple of weeks until the veteran finds a new home for the upcoming season.