INDIANAPOLIS — Marvin Lewis admitted a coach is never sure. But compare the aura surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason to a year ago and it's as if the Bengals have been regilded. They are coming off a playoff appearance and look to the draft with two first-round picks.
"We have a good opportunity ahead of us," Lewis said Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
To say the least.
Behind rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, the Bengals made the playoffs as a wild card, and they changed the image of their team. They now can think of filling in spots as they improve rather than rebuilding. Cincinnati had four players younger than 25 in the Pro Bowl and, in the past two years, have taken Dalton, Green, tight end Jermaine Gresham and defensive end Carlos Dunlap in the first two rounds of the draft.
The coaching staff is excellent and should stay strong with offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer returning.
But Lewis knows that every season is different and a coach is only as good as his most recent won-lost record.
"We won the division three years ago," he said, "and it's not worth anything."
What matters to Lewis is that, as he said, the Bengals found their "pillars." Those would obviously be Dalton, Green, Gresham, offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and defensive tackle Geno Atkins. The Bengals have 42 players under contract, so they have the room and space to add players. But they will not be overly aggressive in free agency.
"You win by developing your own players and not overpaying for a guy you're not sure how he's going to work out until six, eight, 10 games down the road and maybe not then," Lewis said. "That's what's been proven. . . . Aggressive doesn't mean overpay and get stuck with both a bad contract and an average player."
When talking personnel, Lewis said he would like potential free-agent safeties Reggie Nelson and Chris Crocker back, but he feels OK with Taylor Mays and Robert Sands (even though they did not play last season). He is concerned about Rey Maualuga's legal situation. He thinks Green's maturity mitigates the need for a veteran receiver. He believes cornerback Leon Hall will return from an Achilles tendon tear and wide receiver Jordan Shipley from knee surgery, but Lewis did not sound like he expects Cedric Benson to return at running back.
"I think we want to improve our running game, and if it includes Ced, it includes Ced," Lewis said. "We need to have more explosive running plays. Ced has had a fine career. He's a physical player and been a big part of our success."
Lewis' emphasis now is on growing and developing the core of young players who played so well a year ago. He said giving Dalton an offseason to learn will be beneficial.
"Not only the offseason but a resume of work," Lewis said. "Something he can improve upon and build upon with the rest of our players. He spoke so much about that. That he can't wait to get the opportunity to get back to work and to be able to look at the different concepts and the things we do offensively.
Lewis also said it did not matter that some Bengals went to the Pro Bowl as alternates — it was simply important for them to be there.
"I think it was a great experience for our young guys to have the opportunity to learn from these veteran players," Lewis said. "I just told them, 'Suck the knowledge out of them and come back.'"
Lewis knows that Cincinnati followed its 10-6 season in 2009 by going 4-12. He called the 2011 season in which the Bengals went 9-7 and reached the playoffs "a small degree of success." That's the natural nervousness of a coach. But he also sees the potential.
"We have to have the same diligence and resolve and work ethic and not forget where we got and not back up on it," Lewis said. "The leadership of the team understands that.
"It's not a sigh of relief but a reaffirmation to affirm what is important."
