Not only was Cashius Howell not on my Cincinnati Bengals draft bingo card, but he wasn’t even in the bingo hall. Apparently, the 90-year-old Mike Brown is more of the Mahjong kind of guy.
Howell just didn’t seem like a fit for what the Bengals normally target at the position.
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Consider his arm length. Yes, I had talked myself into Rueben Bain’s 30 7/8 inch arms, but at least he was a renowned run-stopper, which the Bengals are known to value. Howell, with his 30 1/4 arms, is super-twitched up and bendy, which is not something the Bengals tend to value as much as other teams.
And yet, here we are.
The Bengals deepened their pass-rush talent pool with a very different kind of player.
Let’s take a look.
Howell is the right end in this clip. Just watch his hips.
His dip and bend are insane.
He ducks right underneath the attempted block and finishes with a big-time hit on the quarterback.
Now let’s focus on his feet.
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He sets the tackle up nicely here. A hard inside step gives the impression that he is going to shoot inside or try to power throw the block. Then he jump-cuts to the outside.
Then he rips the edge and is able to get his hand on the ball as the quarterback cocks back to throw.
That offensive tackle was in for a long day. He looks flat-out embarrassed.
Howell’s crazy twitch and bend strike again.
He is so athletic that he can take a path that seems too wide, but puts him out of reach of the tackle. His smooth hips let him bend around the corner and finish at the quarterback, and the tackle doesn’t have a chance.
He’s not all speed, though.
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In this clip, you get a good look at his power as he takes the bull rush right through the left tackle’s facemask.
He may not get the sack on this one, but he seriously constricts the pocket, and the quarterback can’t finish his follow-through.
He’s tough against the run, too.
Here you see him hold the backside edge while driving the tackle down and eliminating the inside cutback lanes.
Ironically, that is Francis Mauigoa, whom the Giants selected with the pick that originally belonged to the Bengals.
He can take care of the quarterback on the backside of the zone read as well.
This is an excellent display of athleticism in sticking with the ball carrier.
And if they do hand it off, he’ll just chase it down from behind.
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Howell is a high-effort player in the run game and will pursue the play ruthlessly.
All in all, Howell was a strange pick for the Bengals, but in the best way. He brings a different dimension to this pass rush and should have an immediate impact.
