New Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker has already made it clear that the team’s core defensive philosophy will change. While he plans to run a dynamic scheme, the next step is evaluating the roster to determine which players fit specific roles.
It sounds like Parker and the Cowboys want to keep all three defensive tackles -- Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa -- despite their $63.9 million cap hit.
A verdict has also been reached on Marist Liufau, with Brian Schottenheimer confirming that the 2024 third-round pick will be moved to outside linebacker, or edge rusher, in Parker's defense.
"Marist Liufau, we're gonna move him to outside linebacker. 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," Schottenheimer said.
Simply put, this is a terrible omen for Liufau's Cowboys future.
Marist Liufau converting to OLB is a bad sign for his Dallas Cowboys future
Drafted as an inside linebacker, Liufau showed flashes as a rookie under Mike Zimmer, but couldn't get on the field enough to make a consistent impact. The Matt Eberflus experiment also did him zero favors, as he was relegated to a special teams role, playing just 18 percent of the defensive snaps.
With respect to Schottenheimer, this feels like less of Liufau being a great fit as a pass rusher and more about trying to get something out of a recent draft pick who's under contract.
Liufau isn't unplayable to the point where Dallas should cut him. He's a capable gunner on special teams, and it's at least worth a try to see if Parker and new outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe can unlock any pass-rushing chops.
But to say they're fighting an uphill battle would be selling it short. While freakish athleticism is required to rush quarterbacks at an efficient clip, it is also an art form, and Liufau hasn't shown any sign of being able to take on blocks at the line of scrimmage.
And to the athleticism point, Liufau is also lacking in that department. At 239 pounds, the third-year pro will need to add between 10-15 pounds of muscle this offseason
Something will have gone terribly wrong if Liufau ends up playing significant EDGE snaps next season. Either the Cowboys didn't add enough talent via free agency and the draft, or the room was absolutely ravaged by injuries.
Maybe he'll prove us wrong, but nothing that Liufau has put on tape indicates he'll be a useful pass rusher. This could be the beginning of the end of his time in Dallas.