The Cleveland Browns cut their roster from 90 to 53 players on August 27, which posed challenges as they attempted to fill out their roster. The Browns parted ways with multiple players who could make an impact for a different team, including 2023 third-round pick Siaki Ika.
Ika didn’t play much in his first season, appearing in four games, but could be an intriguing option for a team looking for depth. Brian Martin of SB Nation’s Blogging the Boys believes he’d be a great fit for the Dallas Cowboys, urging them to sign the defensive tackle to “bulk up their interior” defensive line.
“Siaki Ika was the 98th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns,” Martin wrote on August 30. “The former LSU and Baylor defensive tackle unfortunately got caught in a numbers game in Cleveland and is now a free agent. At 6’3”, 335-pounds, he’s an intriguing young DT for a team like the Cowboys who are looking to bulk up the interior of their defensive line.
“The Dallas Cowboys may have added Jordan Phillips and Linval Joseph to the mix recently in the hopes of upgrading their defensive front for the 2024 season, but they shouldn’t stop there. Siaki Ika fits the size parameters Mike Zimmer likes in his DTs and he’s also someone the Cowboys showed somewhat of an interest in the pre-draft process back in 2023.”
Ika Never Turned Into a ‘Ferrari’
Cutting a player drafted in the third round a year ago was a bit surprising. However, the Cleveland Browns defensive line is arguably their best unit, and there’s plenty of defensive tackle depth on the roster.
The Browns, at one point, had high hopes for the Baylor product.
Shortly after the Browns drafted him in 2023, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said he wanted Ika to be a “Ferrari.”
“You play the game the way it should be played, so we’re real excited to have you here,” Schwartz said in May of 2023, according to Anthony Poisal, a Brown staff writer. “You’re not a dump truck anymore now, Apu. You’re a Ferrari.”
Ika never became that, but that could’ve been because he wasn’t given much of an opportunity to do so in game action.
How Ika Could Help the Cowboys
If the former Cleveland Browns DT gets an opportunity with a team like the Dallas Cowboys, he’d have a chance to play for a team searching to win a Super Bowl. Much like the Browns, the Cowboys’ defense is also one of the better units in the NFL.
The Cowboys would be taking a chance on him, as Ika hasn’t shown anything yet in his short NFL career, but he has the size and tools to be a player who finds success.
Dallas has had a quiet offseason in terms of improving their roster, so they could still be searching for more help as they head into the season.
He had an impressive college career, including his junior campaign, when he finished with four sacks, 19 tackles, and one pass deflection. The Cowboys would have to hope that he returns to that form and be the player he was expected to be when the Browns drafted him.
