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Making Monsters Draft Series: Texas A&M's Cashius Howell and other Aggies · 2nd City Gridiron

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: All right, welcome back to another episode of making monsters continuing on the draft series of potential picks.
• 0:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: The bears may take players at 25 if they trade back if they trade up, you never know.
• 0:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's Ryan Polls and he does some some funky things every year.
• 0:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's worked out the last couple of years so we'll see how that goes.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Tony Catalina, you know him.
• 0:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've talked before.
• 0:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: We talked last year, Tony, about possible Shamar Stewart.
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: We ended up getting Shamar Turner.
• 0:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it was like a little bit of a flip of that, but we did get one of the, one of the Aggies last year.
• 0:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: So obviously, Texas A&M team reporter for the Austin State spend.
• 0:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for hopping on and talking some more prospects with me.
• 0:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for having me two years in a row.
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a good to talk some ball.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's been fun.
• 0:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So obviously the big one right now is Cashis Howell, where will he land?
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Seams right around the range of where the bears are picking right now this year and also a big deep that Ed pressure position, which now three years straight we've been talking about also needing an Ed pressure.
• 1:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: So hopefully this year they addressed that and we're done talking about that at least for a little a little time moving forward.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: But let's talk about
• 1:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cash is how well obviously one of the top defenses Texas A and M had in college football this last season They're really fun to watch from start to finish of this last year a lot of guys on that on that defense that kind of made it Ticks, but I do want to start there Explain that defense a little bit really what made it work the the positives the negatives everything that you kind of take out of that defense last year
• 1:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, you speak about cash is how and I think his development was a huge reason why it was so successful his second year in the program after being with bowl and green and he took a large leap in that really helped, but when you look at like a Mike Elco defense, you know, four to five he gets really creative on third down he brings some linebackers he brings some different exotic looks.
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that coupled with some of the skill position, some of the guys they had there to rush the passer and some of the skill sets that cash this aisle had, it was really advantageous.
• 2:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he was obviously above and beyond everybody else as far as production went.
• 2:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, it's the way the L.C.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: runs his system.
• 2:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's built in opportunities for these fast rushers to get after the quarterback.
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, go, is fiery.
• 2:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I remember a couple of years ago they texted to say them and noted him, kicked off the season that year.
• 2:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I remember him on, I think it was a college game day that year and he was kind of like, he likes to, you know, defend his guys and he will, he's very verbal about some things.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's the, the type of coach you need, excuse me and why, especially in the SEC, but you mentioned that.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: So three years at Bowling Green,
• 2:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Then transfer it over to Texas A&M.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: So talk about the start of that.
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, do you remember that first, you know, when you were kind of that transfer portal, transition first happened and what were you thoughts?
• 2:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: They are compared to how you are right now about cash cell.
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think, you know, for me, I've been a guy who's always seen Cashis Hall on a favorable light.
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, obviously, I, I had visions that he was going to be productive.
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought he could be a team leader like he was this year.
• 3:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, in a lot of ways, he kind of exceeded mine and a lot of other people's expectations.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: But when Mike Elgo got here, he was part of that first transfer portal class.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, brought in.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was behind guys like next score and then Shamar Stewart and and just a rotational and past Russia.
• 3:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Somebody who had made the most of his opportunities, but hadn't got a full workload.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was a little undersized head, you know, obviously situational past Russia.
• 3:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: He had somebody, you know,
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: He had to build up his body a little bit more to get in shape to be a full-time guy, but this year he came in noticeably bigger.
• 3:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: He came in noticeably stronger with a different type of attitude, different type of edge.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Being the main guy with the most opportunities, I mean, he really never looked like a guy who came from the Mac.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: right like playing a bowling green and then going to the SEC is just night and day as far as talent and effort there goes.
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: But men he really did explode on the scene and somebody who is exactly what people feel really good about when they say hey Michael understands what he's doing when he goes in the tax players in the portal.
• 4:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so for people that don't know 11 and a half sacks last year for him 14 tackles for loss, um, that is the number that you like to see the difference with we talked last year about Shamar Stewart and one of the knocks was just that the box score of sacks and one of the quotes that you said to me is like you heard you had heard scouts say like he needs to kind of learn how to play football is part of the, the, you know, like the phrase that was kind of attached to him and you saw that a little bit this year.
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: What, how would you explain cash to South?
• 4:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was a sentence that explained him in his past rushing ability.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, he's a guy who understands football, right?
• 4:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's kind of the opposite in the sense where his limitations, if people are going to knock the arm length, right?
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so for to talk about his lack of size in that regard, he's made it up for speed, athleticism.
• 4:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's got such a unique past-rush situation where sometimes he looks like a basketball player out there, right?
• 4:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's kind of looks like he's crossing guys over.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's using his speed to get around the edge and bigger guys.
• 4:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: he's using his power and trying to, you know, his leverage to get into inside chess of tackles, but he's a guy who, you know, the some people who just understand how to get to the quarterback, right?
• 5:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: They just understand how to get to the spot, and he is one of those guys, where it's just super, super talented.
• 5:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the scary thing is for anybody in the NFL is I truly believe he's kind of scratching the surface of what he can be.
• 5:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean to not be a full-time starter in 2024, 2025 kind of break into the scene as a first-time SEC guy.
• 5:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: He gets into an NFL program, somebody with a good past rush coach, somebody who can really use his strengths.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think this guy's a limit for him.
• 5:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Do you think that may as you talk about just the size?
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Do you think it may, some teams may hesitate just because of the top, you know, that when it comes to bull and green and the SEC and having that one true breakout season?
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think it's tough.
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, when you're in general manager and I don't really, you know, envy their position sometimes where you get to stand on a table and have convictions about a guy who historically measure bulls don't really pan out that well if you take them on the first round, but you know, I'm a guy that tends to lean on the film and I look at the production and what he was able to do.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't really ignore what he's done, right?
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think so you take a grain of salt with the measurables, you take a grain of salt with all of the other things there, but I think you see a football player, right?
• 6:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think at the end of the day, you're trying to draft football players.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you find a team that could use him as a past rusher.
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: He can be a three-down guy, he's really stout in the run game as well.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just find ways to use him.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if you have that conviction to make that pick, I think you'll be in an invitation spot there.
• 6:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're picking him in the first, you're expecting him to start right away.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Do you think that makes sense for him?
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: You think he can be a starting address around a defense right away in the NFL?
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's unique.
• 6:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think for sure, he's a third-down guy, right?
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Pinier years back, I'll get the quarterback.
• 6:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: It depends on what system and what's around him.
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: If he can be a true, three-down guy, every single play in the first year.
• 6:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you bring a guy in here who would be one of your two or three best-pass pressures right out of the gate.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I know money down is third down and getting after the quarterback is a huge, huge thing in the NFL, obviously.
• 7:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so get him in there,
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: every downback.
• 7:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, every down guy, you got to figure that out a little bit.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's move on to a couple of these other ones, obviously.
• 7:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think the bears are going to target a wide receiver as high as this, but you never know.
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: They took Colson, Lovelin, and then Luther Bird, and back to backpicks, and wanted to last year.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we'll see what it looks like.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then DJ Moore obviously off to the bills and to trade this off season.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: So there is a little bit of a need of a wide receiver, depending on what you're looking at.
• 7:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: I had an issue saying his name, but I remember throughout the season being like, I need to learn how to say this kid's name, because I really like him.
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Smaller guy, 5-11, so not one of those lengthy type of water seabers, but explain him a little bit where we're able to use him and that the next level, especially.
• 7:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think he's so versatile.
• 7:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's such a utility like a guy you can use in any different spot.
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, he'd shown the ability to to be a right runner out wide.
• 7:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Really strong.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, I think most people believe he's going to be a stout slot receiver guy who can win on the inside there.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And also as a as a punt returner, kick return guy, he's got such dynamic ability, you know, just every time he touched the football for Texas A&M, it felt like it was a spark play.
• 8:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, it felt like he was going for six or he's going to get a chunk play.
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's just, and pound from pound, he's one of the strongest dudes on the team, right?
• 8:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just a really well-built put together, kid has a great head on his shoulders.
• 8:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: We talk about the intangible things, one of the best kids I've ever covered, right?
• 8:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like genuinely nice kid, great locker room presence.
• 8:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Somebody you can really root for in that sense.
• 8:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so you couple that with rare athletic ability, I think any team that takes him is going to get a home run guy.
• 8:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Are you seeing first round early second for him?
• 8:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am I'm seeing I see I saw you know I know he had an orthoscopic like kind of scope on his knee and I know he hadn't done some work or things he did well in the drills at the combat but I think it's it's going to take somebody with conviction to probably take him in the first round but I see him anyway however from them mid 20 to like 40 range.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, yeah, Texas A and I'm obviously, and it kind of links when it comes to their players, but just on the PFF big draft board, they have one, two, three, four, five, six players, seven players and the top 150, eight players if you want to put 150, frankly, maybe on Boston's that, but chat a little bit about any of those other guys that you like in this draft that you can kind of see immediately making an impact on a team or that you just think is one of their ceilings very high.
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and so you guys took one of them.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, the bears took an interior rest of the last year, but I think Tyler and yet him is somebody who's been really impressive.
• 9:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he was at the East West Ryan game and really impressed.
• 9:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every scout that I've had to talk a chance to talk to and talent evaluators said, you know, he made himself some money the way he played that the East West Ryan Bowl.
• 9:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was really an interior.
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: he's playing a lot of 4i, but you know when he went to the Shrapnel they put him on the edge to let him rush the passers, he's already strong in the run game, so tell him yet him came over from Iowa State, I believe it's there for three or four years before one season attacks to say him, he's somebody I believe is going to go a lot higher than a lot of people think.
• 10:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, staying on the defensive side of the ball.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I do think cornerback will lead is somebody who is a very intriguing prospect.
• 10:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Six one and some change Just a long tough kid.
• 10:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think as far as when you look at the measure of both of a cornerback.
• 10:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's exactly what you want really long arms really tall.
• 10:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you guys athletic
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: The problem is he hadn't had too much much, you know, ball production.
• 10:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: He hadn't turned the ball over too much.
• 10:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's an ordinary reception last year, but somebody who can play his own, he's strong and man, I think somebody's going to take him in the middle rounds and feel really good about the fact that you may have a guy that's going to be in your rotation in the secondary for a long time.
• 10:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I would do want to ask about Tray Zoon because he, uh, the bears have an interesting situation.
• 10:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: It felt like the offensive line was pretty locked in and then they, they draft Aussie tripello out of Boston College last year.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Aussie gets hurt in the postseason doesn't seem like he's going to be back this season.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: The center drew Dalman suddenly retires this off season.
• 10:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you looked like you had your starting five for a while at least and then you lose two of those main pieces and so,
• 11:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, when he talk about him a little bit tackle, I think he played left tackle for you guys, right?
• 11:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
• 11:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah.
• 11:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: For sure.
• 11:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Trey Zoon is a kid who's just like an outstanding leader first off.
• 11:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like really good kid, really smart kid.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Somebody who you put in a locker room and he'll fit right in with anybody.
• 11:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: But on the field a guy can do a lot of different things play left tackle he kicked him played some center He's a guy who probably rejects more as a guard at the next level, but I say that all to say like endearingly where there probably isn't a spot on the field He can't play right there somewhere.
• 11:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's probably more of an interior guy
• 11:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: But if you had to put him on a tackle, injury situations like that, he can kick out and he can be serviceable.
• 11:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: But man, you'll put him a football in his hand, let him be a center, let him be a guard who can pull and make some space in the run game.
• 11:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Really strong, really smart kid.
• 11:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he's going to go a little earlier than some people too.
• 11:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's at least what I've been hearing.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Somebody that's probably an afterthought with some of these other prospects coming out.
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think Tray Zoon has a
• 12:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's interesting you just said that because as I was making this list, I have a list of seven different guys for center for the bears and I was kind of talking to some of the other guys on second city grid are in a trade zone was one of the guys they listed for the center position and then when I started reading about them, I was like, wait, he's a left tackle.
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you do think he could move in and be like a feasible center in the NFL.
• 12:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so A&M got kind of multiple with their offensive line over the last couple years really sense my uncle got here.
• 12:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've kind of an Adam pushing the offensive line coach.
• 12:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've kind of been multiple about it and we got hurt.
• 12:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: We heard rummelons last spring that he was taking snaps at center and they kind of downplayed a little bit, but then you look.
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he, you know, he's trot known in SEC game playing center and you know, he'd go up there for two or three series and then go back to lift tackles.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: So he'd done a lot of different things and it wasn't for injury, right?
• 12:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes they'd go with different rotations.
• 12:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so when we asked him about it, he was like, yeah, like I want to be versatile.
• 12:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want to be able to do stuff and do everything that they ask of me and and he really was thinking about his NFL future and a lot of instances with an open mind.
• 13:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that's, I mean, that's a good way to look at it in the sense of, hey, if I can play all five positions on the offensive line, then I probably have a job in the NFL and I do, but final one for it, I let you go because when you talk about that offensive line and how important it is you talk about cohesiveness and figuring that I also think the familiarity between quarterback and these players matter to.
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: But even type of quarterback.
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: So when you talk about Marcel Reed, obviously a more dual threat type guy uses his legs quite a bit, that's what Caleb Williams says.
• 13:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So do you think that is also a positive him having that familiarity, which is a type of quarterback that does use his legs and move out of the pocket and do some of that out of structure stuff too.
• 13:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely, you talked about the ability just to having a mobile guy like you said back there and how it extends place, right?
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: You win your initial, you know, play, it's, you have a mental clock and you say, okay, usually the balls get out here, but when it's more cell or guy like Caleb, you know, he's running around, he's making plays, he's off script there.
• 14:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: So,
• 14:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: For somebody like that, it said two years, about a year and a half or Marcel Rita's been that kind of M.O.
• 14:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he had, we'd asked him about it and he said, yeah, he loves the fact that the play never seems to be dead.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: He got a win his job and keep his guard up until the whistle's blown.
• 14:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so that's something I think you'd fit right in.
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Caleb is about as dynamic as it gets up.
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it was funny.
• 14:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was rewatching a play.
• 14:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how much of the playoffs you watched, but the bears in the Rams.
• 14:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was that he dropped back, like 25 yards was just running around scrambling and everybody like your first reaction is what the hell are you doing?
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Why are you going backwards?
• 14:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then he launches at 60 yards down the field and to Colcompet Tan and you're like, oh, okay.
• 14:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just going to trust Caleb Williams and what he does and what he you know his I see on the field but yeah I do think you talk about now the offensive lineman and how they kind of shifted in this world if you want big but you and like fear still but you also want athletic now because there's so much motion and movement and offense is especially if Ben Johnson offense so be able to do something like that.
• 15:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like there is some familiarity from that that Texas A&M defense.
• 15:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: for sure and so yeah no to your point like you're asking some of the biggest guys on the football field the mirror some of the best biggest athletes on the field like defensive ends and past roasters are getting bigger faster stronger they get more athletic so good luck right you got to find guys that are also athletes who have some size so it's never been harder and that's why it's so hard to draft and develop offensive lemon.
• 15:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it is and it's difficult and like some got like I feel like some often still lean into the big burly men by Ben Johnson's and Sean McFaze and Shannon Hands.
• 15:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: They like these guys that can move and be quick and it's hard to do when you're 300 pound person and that's one of the guys they when they drafted Aussie.
• 15:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was like this guy's really big he's six seven like that how can you move and be able to keep up with some of these ad pressures and he did a really good job but that's kind of rare to find.
• 15:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like that would be a good thing.
• 15:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, but all right Tony, I really appreciate it.
• 15:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know we'll see it.
• 16:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe another Aggie coming to Chicago.
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: And honestly, I'm kind of I'm kind of leaning towards cash is how being my pick or my want at 25.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we'll save that ends up working out.
• 16:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: But as usual, thanks for taking the time to chat with me.
• 16:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
• 16:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you again for having me.
• 16:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course.
• 16:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Have your day.