The Bengals spent the offseason trying to reshape their roster, and one of their latest additions is already drawing loud praise from a veteran on the other side of the ball.
Cincinnati used the 41st overall pick in Round 2 on Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell, a move aimed at helping a defense that owned the NFL’s worst run defense last season. Unlike Shemar Stewart a year ago, Howell got his rookie deal done quickly and was able to keep working while the contract situation was settled.
That early work has caught the attention of Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. In an exclusive interview with Malik Wright, Brown said he has already seen enough from Howell to believe the rookie is headed for a big NFL career.
"He's been working every day. Not even just d-line drills, but taking his body to the next level.
Getting stronger, quicker, faster. [...]
He's got all the intangibles that you need to be successful. [...]
We've had some reps already in OTas and minicamp. He's ready to go.
He's a dawg. He's gonna be a great player in this league for a long time."
Brown’s assessment stands out even more because he has already gone against Howell multiple times before training camp pads come on. The 23-year-old has apparently made a strong first impression with his effort and approach, and Brown was especially struck by how Howell has pushed himself physically.
There’s also a familiar layer here: Howell and Stewart were college teammates at Texas A&M. Stewart’s rookie process last year dragged on at the negotiating table and kept him out of much of the offseason program, while Howell has been around and active from the start. That contrast is hard to miss.
For Cincinnati, the hope is that Howell’s quick adjustment becomes more than just a nice summer story. Brown’s comments suggest the rookie’s pass-rush technique and work ethic are already giving him a real chance to contribute early, even if arm length remains a question going forward.
Howell is also cross-training as an occasional off-ball linebacker, which gives the Bengals another possible answer at a spot of need. Any production they get from him would help, and if he ends up pushing Stewart for snaps at defensive end, that would say plenty about where Howell is headed.
The Bengals have loaded up in the trenches, and Brown knows exactly what that means for the guys protecting Joe Burrow. Training camp could get uncomfortable in a hurry.
In Other News...
Bengals May Have A Cheap Answer To A Familiar Backfield Fear
The Bengals have spent enough time worrying about backfield depth to know when a cheap insurance policy is worth exploring, and a trade idea floating around this week fits that mold. With the Chargers adding more bodies to their running back room, Cincinnati could potentially find a usable reserve without paying much more than a late-round draft pick.
For a team that wants steadiness behind Chase Brown and Samaje Perine, the appeal is obvious: a young runner who already showed he can handle a meaningful workload and chip in as a receiver, too. The question is whether the asking price stays low enough to make sense for Cincinnati, because the whole point of a move like this is avoiding a bigger problem later. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Finally Have Their Answer Protecting Joe Burrow
Amarius Mims arrived in Cincinnati with the kind of expectations that come with protecting Joe Burrow, and after getting thrown into the lineup early in his rookie season, he has settled in with the sort of steady progress the Bengals were hoping to see. The most encouraging part for Cincinnati is that the 2025 starting offensive line is set to return intact, giving the team continuity up front and a cleaner path for Mims to keep building on what he showed in his first year or so.
Mims has also had a helpful partner on the right side in Dalton Risner, and he has publicly credited Risner with helping his development. If that pairing keeps growing together, the Bengals could be looking at a much more stable answer on the edge than they have had in recent seasons, with Mims emerging as a breakout name to watch as the next chapter unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
One Bengals Starter Feels Especially Vulnerable With Camp Almost Here
With Bengals camp drawing near, a few projected starters are suddenly looking less secure than they did a few months ago. The conversation starts on the second level, where Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter are both under scrutiny after rocky rookie seasons, but it does not stop there. Jordan Battle also enters the summer with questions hanging over his spot after an erratic year, and the defensive front has its own pressure points with Myles Murphy trying to hold off younger competition.
The bigger issue for Cincinnati is that this is not just one position group feeling the heat. Bryan Cook and Dexter Lawrence give the safety room a different look, while Shemar Stewart and rookie Cashius Howell add more urgency on the edge. So the real camp storyline may be less about who is locked in and more about which projected starter is most vulnerable when the pads finally come on. [Read more 🡒]