Cowboys' Marist Liufau: Bulks up ahead of position switch
Rotowire
Liufau is expected to play outside linebacker under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker this season, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.
In anticipation of the move from off-ball linebacker to the edge for Dallas, Liufau has bulked up this offseason. "I'm excited, [it's] just another opportunity to get on the field," Liufau said. "At the end of the day, it's not something I can't do. I'm excited to really showcase what I can do. I will be fine." Liufau is expected to get more opportunities to rush the passer under Parker. A third-round pick in 2024, Liufau has appeared in all 34 regular-season games since entering the league but logged just 18 percent of the defensive snaps under DC Matt Eberflus last season. With Parker now at the controls on the defensive side, Liufau could get more reps in tandem with Rashan Gary.
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Cowboys' Marist Liufau: Impressing early in camp
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Liufau is looking faster than he did as a rookie last season during the early part of training camp, Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com reports. "That was a big thing that I wanted to work on this offseason, and also my conditioning," Liufau said this week. "Knowing [new defensive coordinator Matt] Eberflus' system, we're gonna be running a lot, and it emphasizes running through the ball, and so we got to be in the best shape to be able to dominate and play the kind of defense that we want."
A third-round pick in 2024, Liufau began last season bouncing between a depth role on defense and special teams, but by the final month of the campaign the Notre Dame product was not only starting, he was wearing the green dot for coordinator Mike Zimmer. Liufau recorded 24 tackles (12 solo) with two forced fumbles and a pass defended over his final four games of 2024, but in Eberflus' linebacker-friendly scheme, his production could skyrocket, especially with DeMarvion Overshown (knee) not expected to be ready until midseason.
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Cowboys' Marist Liufau: Likely looking at increased snaps
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Liufau figures to replace DeMarvion Overshown, who is undergoing surgery to repair a knee injury he sustained Monday versus the Bengals, as a starter for the remainder of the season, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.
After Overshown was forced out of Monday's game early by the gruesome injury, Liufau filled in admirably, and he recorded the first sack as a pro in Week 14. If he sees serious competition for playing time at inside linebacker next to Eric Kendricks during the rest of this year, it will likely come from 2022 fifth-rounder Damone Clark.
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Cowboys' Marist Liufau: Solid game in relief
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Liufau recorded five tackles (four solo) and a fumble recovery in Sunday's 34-6 loss to the Eagles.
The outside linebacker replaced starter DeMarvion Overshown after the latter exited the game with a knee injury in the third quarter. Overshown's injury is not believed to be serious, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That could limit Liufau's playing time moving forward, as he has only played on more than 50 percent of the defensive snaps once this season.
