TEMPE, Ariz. -- On the day the Arizona Cardinals drafted offensive lineman Chase Bisontis in the second round last month, they already had a plan for the former Texas A&M Aggie.
First-year coach Mike LaFleur said that night that Bisontis would initially start his NFL career working at guard, his natural position. It made sense. Right guard isn't solidified for Arizona, and Bisontis, who was picked just two spots out of the first round, could either push the veteran guards already on the roster or even make a push himself for the starting job.
"Chase is what you want in a guard," LaFleur said. "He can move, he can cover people up, but, ultimately, he strains to finish and that's what you really like about him. He's willing to work."
Lining up at guard was what got Bisontis to the NFL, but that's not how his journey to the Cardinals started.
One thing Bisontis learned in college was that whatever happens after an initial plan is set is anyone's guess.
When former Texas A&M offensive line coach Steve Addazio won the recruiting battle for Bisontis, outdueling current Cardinals offensive line coach Justin Frye, who was at Ohio State at the time, to sign Bisontis out of New Jersey, he already thought Bisontis was a future first-round pick at guard. It didn't take long for Addazio to see just how talented Bisontis was.
Heading into Bisontis' freshman season in 2023, the Aggies were down their starting right tackle, Reuben Fatheree II, after he suffered a knee injury the previous spring. Wanting his five best linemen on the field for Week 1, Addazio took Bisontis out of his comfort zone and made him the Aggies' starting right tackle.
It was ambitious -- and a bit risky -- for Addazio to send a true freshman out there against a full slate of SEC pass rushers, including 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner out of Alabama, week in and week out.
Even though he wholeheartedly believed Bisontis could be a starting tackle in the SEC because he had "great feet" and was "physically powerful," Addazio admitted it wasn't an easy task, especially for a freshman.
"That was hard," Addazio said. "I mean, you're playing out on the edge against elite first-round draft pick pass rushers. So, you're playing in space and you're a true freshman, you're like 17, 18 years old, and that's a really difficult thing. And he did it. And, he, really, for the most part, did it pretty well. He had a few struggles out there, but that's to be expected for anybody as a freshman. But that tells you about his competitiveness and his athleticism.
"I always said [to] him back then, I said, 'You know what? You're a true guard, but this experience out here will come back to you tenfold later in your career because it'll show the NFL your athleticism and your versatility and it'll also teach you how to play in space even better.' Even though I knew he was a natural guard, but everybody in the NFL wants guys that have some position flexibility, and I think he showed enough that at that next level, in any given NFL season, if they ran into injuries, he could go out on the edge and play."
Before Bisontis' freshman season was over, Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher, a move that was followed by Addazio being let go by new Aggies coach Mike Elko.
Soon after Elko took over, Bisontis went into the transfer portal. Adam Cushing, who replaced Addazio as Texas A&M's offensive line coach, understood.
"There's just like, 'I don't know you people. I went through the recruiting process with a totally different staff and then all these other places that recruited me out of high school, I know those coaches better than I know you,'" Cushing said. "And, so, it's like, 'Yeah, that's fair.' We can say everything we want. It's still a people business. And, so, it was just some getting to know."
Then there was also the matter of Bisontis' position.
During a conversation while Bisontis was still in the portal, he told Cushing that he didn't think his NFL future was at tackle. That was all Cushing needed to hear -- plus a little NIL money helped, Cushing said. Less than two weeks after entering the portal, Bisontis decided to stay at Texas A&M.
Like Addazio, Cushing could see that if Bisontis was going to be an NFL player, it'd be in the interior of the line.
"What is the most elite about Chase is the power production," Cushing said. "I'm fortunate to coach a few first-round draft picks. He is as good, if not better than those guys in power production. And he's so unbelievably strong in the weight room, but it translates to the field. And just that was what I saw on the film was that, man, in order to run the ball and to hold up in the SEC, your guards have to be able to move enormous humans and you have to be able to produce. It's a slightly different skill set than what's required out of tackle at times."
And, so, Bisontis began the transition back to guard to kick off his road to the Cardinals.
Moving positions can only help a player, Addazio said.
The difference going from tackle to guard wasn't inconsequential.
"I would say the biggest thing is the speed of the game," Bisontis said. "You're a little more patient outside, looking at your landmarks and then, inside, it's a dogfight every play. Who's faster? Who's going to strike first? So, those type of things."
Cushing said the immediacy of every play is exacerbated at guard. Tackles, he said, play in a phone booth. Guards, he added, play in a shoebox.
"There is a person on your nose and touching you before you can get your second step in the ground," Cushing said of playing guard.
"One thing that stands out if you turn on his video is his foot turnover. His foot turnover was so good. He got himself moving before that other guy could touch him. And, so, his transition, while there's some immediacy to it, that elite footwork that he has certainly made it a lot easier for him because he can get his feet in the ground before the contact happens."
Bisontis made a name for himself in College Station for being a dogged, physical, tough and light-footed guard. Although his reputation was built at guard, Bisontis said he could play anywhere on the line. During Texas A&M's offseasons, Cushing put his offensive linemen through drills at every position across the front.
It's done for two reasons: To make his linemen as versatile as possible, which helps Cushing put the best five on the field, and to help his linemen better understand the game. Wherever Bisontis lined up, whether it was guard, center or tackle, Cushing had the same response: "Whoa, he can do that, too."
While Bisontis' transition to the NFL won't be as chaotic as was his to college, it'll still come with some nerves and challenges as he adapts to the pro game. And a familiar face will be watching nearby. He not only was recruited by Frye, but Frye played for Addazio at Indiana for three seasons.
"I see a lot of similarities in his coaching. So, it's a real full circle effect," Bisontis said.
"It's cool because I'm comfortable. Coming in, me and Coach Frye, I feel like we talk the same way. We have a lot of similarities, so it's real easy to just focus on the right things."
While Addazio and Cushing both saw what the future could look like for Bisontis, now that future has just begun.
"He's got an incredible upside," Cushing said. "I think that he's got the makings of a Pro Bowler."
