The Bengals ended voluntary veteran workouts Thursday, wrapping a dizzying eight-month stretch for Dick LeBeau, who replaced Bruce Coslet as coach at the end of September.

        Other than the front office, which will be negotiating contracts with the team's seven draft picks and hunting for another free agent or two, football operations will halt during June. Several coaches, including LeBeau, are taking a break.

        He coached the team to a 4-9 record before launching a search for a new offensive coordinator and three other assistant coaches. Then there was the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, free agency, the draft, minicamp and a dozen May workouts.

        The 63-year-old LeBeau sat for an interview two hours after the final workout Thursday, reflecting on where his team had come since September and looking forward to the July 20 opening of training camp.

        Question: What are your impressions of May?

        Answer: We had a new offense going in and a lot of new things on defense. It was the reason we selected a solid block, so we could orient the players with a progressive installation and not have it split up. The best thing of all was the attitude. We made a lot of progress, but it also pointed out we have a lot of progress yet to make.

        Q: Was there anything in particular that you liked?

        A: The overall timing of the offense was dramatically improved as we went along. It was beginning to look more like our offense and not an offense being installed. We were much more fluid in and out of the huddle, quicker at the line of scrimmage with the adjustments, and the quarterbacks' reads and releases.

        Q: What areas are in need of the most progress?

        A: We have a long way to go in that area (offense). We're not ready to play a 65-play game right now. We might look coordinated for 30 plays, but we have to add the second half. This enables us to go to training camp and work from a stronger foundation.

        Q: How did the quarterback competition look between Jon Kitna, Scott Mitchell and Akili Smith?

        A: The thing I liked about that situation, depending on which day you were watching, your opinion shifted. That meant each quarterback was taking his turn at shining, and I liked that. When we get into training camp and playing the games, I'm confident someone will surface. At this point, it's a pretty even race.

        Q: Do you anticipate rotating quarterbacks, having two starters?

        A: My first reaction is I would like to have a quarterback, and he would be our quarterback. All teams, if the quarterback is having a problem, would take him out and let him catch his breath.

        Q: What did having Corey Dillon in here for two weeks mean to the team?

        A: Just standing behind the offense and watching it operate, it looked like the players were getting a better grasp of what they we were doing when Corey stepped on the field. We looked better when he was on the field. In a symbolic nature, it was uplifting for all of us that our best players are happy here.

        Q: How did your No. 1 pick, defensive end Justin Smith, look?

        A: We've liked how all of our draft choices have looked. We think Justin Smith has a lot of talent and a good work ethic.

        Q: How was attendance during May?

        A: We had everybody here at one point or another. My goal, and it will have to be next year now, is to have everybody here at the same time for several of these sessions once the mandatory part has expired.

        Q: You signed several free agents, including Kitna and defensive tackle Tony Williams, and ended with a flourish getting left tackle Richmond Webb and fullback Lorenzo Neal.

        A: We had a lot of traffic here. We're not in training camp yet, but there's a possibility of adding another player or two depending on how cap money comes down, and we will not limit ourselves to any position. We signed quality men, and we re-signed several of our own players we were at risk of losing.

        Q: There had been talk in the past this team was too young. You added several veteran players. How much difference do experience and character mean in the locker room?

        A: We did not sit down and say, "This guy has more experience.' We were looking at how much a player would help us win. The thing I would focus on is the word "character.' The minute you talk to these guys (Webb and Neal), you know these are people of honor. We're trying to build a successful enterprise here. And you do that with people of honor. We got Oliver Gibson a couple of years ago from Pittsburgh, and he has helped us immensely because he is a man of honor. Those people will be with you through the tough times, and you have a lot of tough times in this business.

        Q: Have the last five months been as productive as you had hoped?

        A: I feel good about what we were able to accomplish. I talked to a lot of good men (searching for an offensive coordinator). I feel very good about where we are going with coach Bob Bratkowski. I feel good about our draft. A lot of quality work resulted in some quality areas in areas we focused in on. The offseason workouts and minicamp were productive. The future will hold the bottom line on it, but we feel good about what we got done.

        Q: Every year, there have been reasons for optimism with this team, yet it has struggled each season. Is there anything that makes you believe this season will be any different than the past two, which finished 4-12?

        A: We can promise only one thing: that we will work as hard as we can to give (fans) a team they can be proud of. Our players are like this city; we are tired of not being successful. You can talk to any of our opponents that played us as the year progressed, and they said, "That team is different.' It isn't me. It's the players. It isn't good enough right now, or we would have had more victories. But the first thing we had to change was our attitude and how we went about things, and our players did that. I didn't do it. We want people to know we want to play football. If you talk to people who play against us, they will tell you we are a formidable opponent. We want to become a victorious opponent. The biggest thing that gives me a positive outlook that this thing is doable is the way our players have responded to adversity, the way they fought through a very difficult season. They had a football coach thrust on them in the middle of the year who had zero head coaching experience. Yet they fought their way out of it. We made strides. We are going to build from there in training camp 2001.

Q&A with Dick LeBeau

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