The Dallas Cowboys are in the process of revamping the team’s defense, and at the very least, they have undergone a significant change in terms of volume of new personnel. There were eight defensive players added in the NFL draft, and another 10 in free agency or through trades, with current projections showing they are likely to have about six new starters on that side of the ball. Lost in the tsunami of new blood, though, could be an incumbent who has never quite found his footing in Dallas–Marist Liufau, the 2024 third-rounder can play some linebacker and some edge rusher, but has not done a whole lot of either for the Cowboys in two seasons.
Liufau is changing positions this season as new coordinator Christian Parker takes the defensive reins, going from linebacker to edge rusher. The move smacked of a bit of desperation on the part of the Cowboys, who badly need linebackers. Liufau played 34 games, starting 14, in the past two seasons, and earned a Pro Football Focus grade of just 40.7, which would have rated among the 10 worst linebackers in the NFL if he’d played enough snaps.
Nudging Liufau to the outside now seems to set up the team to nudge Liufau out altogether in the near future.
Cowboys Added Edge Rushers
Because he is only 25, there is some hope that Liufau will take to playing the edge, though the question there would be, if he was really had the speed and strength (he is just 239 pounds) for that role, why is he only making the move in Year 3? Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota of The Athletic, in carving out his early look at the potential 53-man roster, praised Liufau but ultimately projected Dallas to cut him (he could be traded, too).
Wrote Machota: “This is one of the tougher position groups to project because of the move to make Marist Liufau an outside linebacker. His value might not be viewed the same with the new coaching staff. If the move works for him, he would be a good piece to keep. He’s been a major contributor on special teams.”
But ultimately, Machota projects the Cowboys outside linebacking crew to be: Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence. Sam Williams, James Houston and Tyrus Wheat.
Marist Liufau Facing Uphill Battle
We will get a better sense of whether Liufau has a chance to stick with the Cowboys at his new position when the team begins OTAs. He will need to bulk up, and we’ll need to see how the other big pieces in the group line up. The first four on the edge depth chart are pretty well set–Liufau would likely have to beat out Houston or Wheat to get a spot.
Back in February, when he first announced the move, coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed confidence in Liufau’s ability to make the transition. “Marist Liufau, we’re gonna move him to outside linebacker,” Schottenheimer said at the time. “That kind of fits his strengths, right? He’s got length, he’s got long arms and he’s really good at disrupting the ball.”
Does he have the size, strength and speed, though? That is more of a longshot.
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