By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

As his second full year as Bengals coach begins today, Marvin Lewis will have to replace a member of his original coaching staff.

Wide receivers coach Alex Wood is the new offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. Wood, who spent one season with the Bengals, is reunited in Arizona with new coach Dennis Green. Green had hired Wood on his Vikings staff in 1999 as quarterbacks coach.

"This is a great opportunity for Alex, and I'm excited to see him get it," Lewis said.

The Bengals are believed to have made contact with one possible replacement, but Lewis and other team sources declined to mention the candidate by name.

Former Washington offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, one of four Redskins assistants let go Tuesday by new coach Joe Gibbs, is believed to be Lewis' top choice to replace Wood. If Lewis had not retained Bengals coordinator Bob Bratkowski a year ago, Jackson was thought to be Lewis' choice to run the Bengals' offense. Lewis respects Jackson's work ethic and offensive thinking.

Former Redskins wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. also is considered another candidate for the same job with the Bengals.

Wood's only season in Cincinnati was successful. Third-year receiver Chad Johnson will start in the Pro Bowl, and Peter Warrick also had career highs in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns.

TUG OF WAR: Former Bengals coach Dick LeBeau is the object of an intense battle involving the Bills and Steelers. Both teams want LeBeau as their defensive coordinator.

Steelers coach Bill Cowher is believed to have offered the job to LeBeau. Cowher's former offensive coordinator, Mike Mularkey, who will be introduced today as Buffalo's new coach, also wants the zone-blitz creator as his defensive coordinator.

LeBeau was the Bills' assistant head coach in 2003 after being fired by the Bengals.

Former Bengals defensive line coach Tim Krumrie, who coached the Bills' line in 2003, is expected to take the job as the Redskins' defensive line coach if LeBeau doesn't accept the Buffalo job.

Former Bills coach Gregg Williams, fired after the season in Buffalo, is Gibbs' defensive coordinator in Washington and wants to bring Krumrie along.

REDHAWK BOWLING: Jacob Bell, who played right guard on Miami University's 13-1 team, will play on the North team in the annual Senior Bowl on Jan.24. Lewis and the Bengals staff will coach the North team. Practices will begin Monday in Mobile, Ala.

Bell, 6 feet 5, 295 pounds, would have been a four-year starter if not for a season-ending shoulder injury as a sophomore. He started at all offensive line positions except center at Miami and is projected as a third- or fourth-round draft pick.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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