The Dallas Cowboys finally made their move this weekend, signing veteran edge rusher Von Miller after months of flirtation with the two-time Super Bowl champ and Dallas-area native. Miller will bolster a defensive edge room that has added talent, starting with veteran Rashan Gary but including first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, but was still lacking a QB-hunting presence who could be put on the field in sack situations. Miller, no doubt, is that guy.
Miller’s resume is as good as it gets. This will be his 15th season, and he has already seen eight Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro selections, two Super Bowl rings and 138.0 career sacks, including 9.0 last year in Washington. He is as sure a bet as there is among active defensive players is for the Hall of Fame.
And now, he is coming to Dallas as his fifth NFL spot, after having gone to high school at DeSoto and having played his college football at Texas A&M.
Cowboys Making Room for Von Miller
But, the way things work in the NFL, every roster addition requires a roster subtraction, and for the Cowboys, bringing in Miller is probably going to cost high-value pass rusher in the near future. Teams can have 90 players in training camp, and the Cowboys let go of receiver Traeshon Holden on Monday to make room for Miller. When it comes down to making real roster cuts, adding Miller will bring some pain.
That’s because the Cowboys can’t bring an endless number of pass-rushers into the regular season. Gary, Lawrence, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Miller are locks. James Houston is all but certain. And then? Well, the Cowboys would only likely keep six edge rushers, meaning Sam Williams and Marist Liufau are not so sure.
One Cowboys Spot Left After Von Miller Signing?
As Nick Harris, Cowboys beat writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote on Twitter/X: “Domino effect: Probably only one spot remains for Marist Liufau and Sam Williams on the 53-man roster. Dallas will likely have to part with a former day two pick.”
Williams is entering his fifth year, and is on a one-year contract. He was a second-round pick in 2022, and missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL. No one on the Cowboys’ defense looked great in 2025, but Williams seemed especially slow to bounce back.
Liufau was drafted as a third-rounder in 2024, and played two seasons as a middle linebacker. The team is popping him outside this year, and that might ultimately be his trouble–he clearly has talent but is not enough of an athlete to play middle linebacker and is not strong enough to be an edge.
Thus, when the time comes, expect Liufau to be the odd man out with the Cowboys keeping Williams on board.
Marist Liufau Could Get Past Waivers?
It will be hard to let either Williams or Liufau go, and it is possible still that the Cowboys will be able to dodge that choice if there is an injury elsewhere. Both Liufau and Williams are big special teams contributors, so there is incentive to find a way to keep both. And while it is unlikely, there is the possibility that the Cowboys could sneak Liufau or Williams past waivers and keep them in place on the practice squad.
That’s a longshot, but it is possible, and would take some sting out of whatever move is needed to make room for Miller.
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