After the season ended last season, I was one of the first to think Marist Liufau would be the guy that needed to take the next step, and now after the hiring of Christian Parker and a position change, he now feels like he is the odd man out.
In case you missed all the craziness this offseason thus far, Liufau is changing positions this season as new coordinator 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.
He’s not a good pass rusher and now you’ve got an exceptionally small EDGE rusher.
Change Could Be Bad
So here is the thing. I am not saying he is going to be cut by Dallas when they start trimming down the roster, but making this change just does not feel right.
Parker believes he can use his speed to cause issues on the edge, but it won’t be easy for Liufau to make the 53-man roster.
He’s not only learning a new position, but he will have to earn a spot at a position that includes Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Sam Williams, and James Houston.
Tell me which player he would have the edge over being the new guy? James Houston is the only name you can throw against him, but I think James more than I do Liufau with the change to edge rusher.
He clearly won’t beat out Gary, or their first round pick Lawrence. Dallas would not have re-signed Williams if they did not think he would get snaps, and Ezeiruaku is a guy that I think will have a breakout year for the Cowboys.
He’s a true pass rusher.
A third-round pick out of Notre Dame, Liufau started 14 of 34 games in two seasons as a middle linebacker in Dallas.
So it is not like he was a stellar LB either, but they have to try and do something with him.
In 720 snaps over the two campaigns, he was only able to register 80 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 18 QB pressures.
Let’s remember this was under Matt Eberflus, but the defense has been so bad the last two years that I don’t even think anything would have helped them.
Again, after the season ended, I just thought he needed to be better and that was that, but now with Parker, it seems like they are hoping that this change will bring the best out of Liufau, but I am not holding my breath.
I still think they should re-sign the sack leader from a year ago, Jadeveon Clowney and just say the heck with it, but he still is not signed, and I honestly have no idea why.
He played in 13 games last season and only started 13, yet he finished with 8.5 sacks and was the team leader after Micah Parsons was traded. He finished the year strong and had 2 or 3 sacks, so it is not like he was being bothered by anything, but enough of that.
All I am saying is do not be shocked if Liufau does not adjust well to the change and ends up with a cut, because now he seems like the odd man out with all those pass rushers. Under the new 3-4, he has to make the change, but we will see how he ends up.
For someone who is not a pass rusher, moving him and expecting him to make an impact just doesn’t seem like it is going to happen, but I hope I am wrong.
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