By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

INDIANAPOLIS - Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome thinks Marvin Lewis' attention-to-detail system will make the biggest difference with the Bengals.

"Marvin's system is a proven system," said Newsome, a Baltimore personnel executive when Lewis was the Ravens' defensive coordinator. "It's the way you play, the way you travel, the way you do everything. (Jon) Gruden does it in Tampa (Bay)."

Lewis, hired last month as Bengals coach and overseeing his staff for the first time at a scouting combine, has been micromanaging for his first six weeks on the job.

"I think Marvin's going to do a great job," Newsome said Saturday. "He has some talent. He's bringing in his system."

MORE OZZIE: Newsome also said the Ravens are trying to re-sign free agent quarterback Jeff Blake, a former Bengal.

Newsome said as many as three or four quarterbacks could be drafted in the first round and eight to 10 in the first three rounds.

SATURDAY NIGHT: Lewis and his staff spent Saturday night interviewing quarterbacks, wide receivers and top defensive backs.

CORNER THE MARKET: Two of the top cornerbacks are Terence Newman of Kansas State and Marcus Trufant of Washington State.

Along with Oklahoma's Andre Woolfolk, a converted wide receiver, Newman and Trufant are considered the three cornerbacks who will be taken in the first round.

Newman had five interceptions and 16 passes defensed in 2002. He also can play wide receiver and return punts - like former Miami Hurricane Phillip Buchanon, now with the Raiders, whom the Bengals liked last year.

Trufant had three interceptions and 69 stops as a reliable tackler last season for the Cougars. He had a good Senior Bowl last month and worked out at the combine.

"I just wanted to show people, up close and personal, if they had questions, what I can do," Trufant said.

Lewis has said he wants to upgrade the cornerback position.

SITTING OUT: Miami Dolphins senior vice president Rick Spielman did not hide his anger with a dozen tailbacks who chose not to work out Saturday morning.

Only four of 16 in the morning group ran the 40-yard dash and did the bench press. Tennessee Titans general manager Floyd Reese said only eight of 25 tailbacks ran and worked out.

"It's an embarrassment to the kid and the agent," Spielman said. "For us to sit up there, all 32 NFL teams, coaches and scouts, that's a total embarrassment."

Lewis also was not happy about the number of players who chose not to work out.

"It's baloney," Lewis said. "It doesn't make much sense."

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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