Marvin Lewis (Enquirer file photo)

Andy Knight (May 4, 2004, 11:58 AM)
Good afternoon and welcome to today's online chat with Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. Coach Lewis will be with us momentarily, so please feel free to begin posting your questions now.

Kris (May 4, 2004 11:59:54 AM)
How much work do you see Chris Perry getting this year?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 11:59:54 AM)
That would depend on his ability to handle the physical nature of the NFL and picking up the ins and outs of our offense.

Rookie (May 4, 2004 12:00:55 PM)
I'm concerned the Bengals didn't draft a center to replace Richie Braham in a year or two. I know you signed Moore, but I'm not sure he's the long-term replacement we need for Richie. How do you plan to address the need for a starting center soon?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:00:55 PM)
Richie would say he needs no long-term replacement, but I feel comfortable we now have a couple of guys in house to compete for that spot. They are Thatcher Szalay, Larry Moore and Mike Mabry.

Bengalfan (May 4, 2004 12:01:25 PM)
Your Kingness! I love what you have done thus far and I loved the Draft. Do you think that Caleb will play this year, much?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:01:25 PM)
I would hope all of our draft picks have an opportunity to play and significantly upgrade us.

BengalMatt (May 4, 2004 12:01:58 PM)
Afternoon coach. My question is regarding the offseason. Are the Bengals looking to add more free agents after June 1st? If so, which positions are you looking at adressing?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:01:58 PM)
We will continue to stay abreast of what players we feel can help us when they come available.

BengalBacker (May 4, 2004 12:02:46 PM)
Marvin. You are the man. A lot of people seem to think that drafting Perry means we won't try to sign Rudi long term. I think they're wrong. any idea when a deal might get done?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:02:47 PM)
There really is no time frame on extending Rudi. We would hope to try to get it done, but I can guarantee it.

Matt Stacey (May 4, 2004 12:04:09 PM)
Every coach loves their own draft, but were there other players, with the exception of your own, that you were hoping might fall to your picks in each round.....and which players were they? Thank You

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:04:09 PM)
You're right. You're always happy with your draft. There were a few positions we would have liked to address earlier, just like last year.

Sid from Chicago (May 4, 2004 12:04:46 PM)
Coach--how realistic do you see our chances of going to the playoffs? What record do you think it will take, and what do you think is realistic?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:04:46 PM)
I would believe our chances are very good, but it comes to making football plays and preparation, just like a year ago.

OmahaErik (May 4, 2004 12:05:09 PM)
Coach, is it likely that we'll see more of Carson Palmer this preseason compared to other starting quarterbacks in the league? Also, what are some of the things Carson brings to the table that Kitna doesn't? Thanks for your time coach.

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:05:09 PM)
Carson will probably play more than most returning starting quarterbacks.

bearcat (May 4, 2004 12:05:41 PM)
Will you use Chris Perry as a third down back or do you plan to use him at times with Rudi Johnson?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:05:41 PM)
Rudi and Chris and the rest of our backs will compete to play on third down.

cbohnert62 (May 4, 2004 12:06:09 PM)
I noticed earlier this mornign players working out with some coaches. Were these undrafted free agents trying to make the team? If so, are there any prospects out there you liked?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:06:10 PM)
Those are our current players on the roster in our offseason program.

Andy Knight (May 4, 2004 12:06:31 PM)
Fans, do you agree with the Bengals picking up Kurt Kittner? Does this mean Casey Bramlet has no shot?

DENO (May 4, 2004 12:06:49 PM)
The acquisition of Stacy Andrews at pick 123 looks like a real steal. What position do you foresee him playing within the offensive line ? ESPN reported that they thought he could be molded into a 10 year NFL starter .

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:06:49 PM)
We hope to develop Stacy into a starting offensive tackle in the NFL.

rygy (May 4, 2004 12:07:18 PM)
what about going after mckenzie from green bay

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:07:18 PM)
Mike feels he is underpaid at $3-plus million per year.

hailmarvin (May 4, 2004 12:08:11 PM)
tell us about the status of the new turf and how it will be an improvement to the past debacles?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:08:11 PM)
The field is under contruction right now. Paul Brown Stadium had no worse surface than any of the northern stadium. As the season grows longer, it's more difficult to grow grass from Jacksonville north.

BD (May 4, 2004 12:08:41 PM)
Why did you pass on Chris Gamble?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:08:41 PM)
We didn't pass on Chris Gamble. We had other players ranked slightly higher.

Andy Knight (May 4, 2004 12:09:13 PM)
Thanks for joining us today. Coach Lewis is getting plenty of questions, and he's trying to answer as many of them as possible. Please continue to watch your chat window to see if he answers yours.

tmack (May 4, 2004 12:09:35 PM)
First of all Coach Lewis, congratulations on a great season last year and a good looking draft. Are there any college coaches that you identify with to the extent that drafting their players would be less of a risk based upon the coaching they have been exposed to?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:09:35 PM)
When you draft a player, you do not draft based on risk. You have a vision or producing a productive player.

jfkirtley (May 4, 2004 12:10:33 PM)
Coach, are you concerned with your depth at cornerback?...any thougths on bringing in another CB after June 1?...

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:10:33 PM)
I feel good about our depth. I don't think we'll address that any further.

Bizzie (May 4, 2004 12:11:17 PM)
marvin, i like how you drafted. i was wondering if you had the idea of getting guys who can go sideline to sideline and be able to tackle well, or is that just how the draft went for the bengals?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:11:17 PM)
It's important to develop defensive players who are great knee-benders. These players develop into better tacklers.

Go_Cats_Go! (May 4, 2004 12:12:17 PM)
Coach - You mentioned that you may be more involved with the Defense this year. How different will your role in this coaching aspect than it was last year?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:12:17 PM)
I need to spend less time administrating and more time as a sounding board for our defensive coaches.

hailmarvin (May 4, 2004 12:12:34 PM)
I like Kittner as a third string.

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:12:35 PM)
We will see how Kurt can do on the field.

Noah (May 4, 2004 12:13:00 PM)
Coach - how is Dennis Weathersby? We are all praying for his recovery - what can you tell us?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:13:00 PM)
Dennis has been recovering very well. We are hopeful he can recover and have a productive life.

zimmazamma (May 4, 2004 12:13:45 PM)
How does the safety position look? Does Herring or Beckett have a spot locked up or is it all up for grabs with them and Kaesviharn, M. Williams, etc.?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:13:45 PM)
I believe that we've done a good job in bringing in a more productive group of players.

Rookie (May 4, 2004 12:14:29 PM)
How do you think the change in rules about pass coverage will affect the Bengals receivers as well as who we play at CB and safety?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:14:30 PM)
I don't believe it should affect us defensively. The rule hasn't changed. Hopefully, it will provide our receivers with cleaner releases.

nightchild (May 4, 2004 12:14:46 PM)
Who is the draftee you were most surprised to be able to draft where you did (as in you never thought he'd still be there)?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:14:46 PM)
Madieu Williams.

burley1 (May 4, 2004 12:15:26 PM)
I followed your team in Baltimore for a number of years and loved Goose and Sam Adams in the middle. Do you forsee getting some big bodies to close the middle like they did? Do we have anyone on our roster you'd compare to Mike McCrary?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:15:26 PM)
Goose and Sam Adams were very athletic defensive tackles. And there is only one Mike McCrary.

JimH (May 4, 2004 12:16:12 PM)
We've got a tough schedule this year (which is great because it better prepares us for playoff caliber competiton) - do you have any predictions on our record?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:16:12 PM)
When the schedule is released, it always has one look to it. It seems to change during the season.

whodey22 (May 4, 2004 12:16:34 PM)
Do you feel any pressure to win now that the city of Cincinnati is excited about the Bengals for the first time in over a decade?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:16:34 PM)
I feel no pressure because our goal hasn't changed. That's to win a Super Bowl.

CincinnatiGamecock (May 4, 2004 12:17:08 PM)
Coach, do you expect to sell out every home game this year. It sure would be nice to see the city support a team from begining to end.

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:17:08 PM)
I'm hopeful that our hundreds of thousands of fans will fill 65,000-seat Paul Brown Stadium.

tmitch (May 4, 2004 12:17:43 PM)
Should Carson stumble, how far into the season would you wait to make a change?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:17:43 PM)
I don't want one position to keep us from winning football games. So I can't give you a number.

drblank1 (May 4, 2004 12:18:41 PM)
Coach, John Kitna was having such a good year. With bolstering the front line, he should have had another exceptional year. Has Carson Palmer improved so much that he has WON the job from Kitna? It seems that we're falling into the same old trap of not letting our young QB's develop properly. Comments?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:18:41 PM)
I believe that Carson has the ability to enhance our quarterback position and our football team.

nightchild (May 4, 2004 12:19:05 PM)
If the season started today who would be the #4 WR?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:19:05 PM)
T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Patrick Johnson.

robertNC (May 4, 2004 12:20:00 PM)
I think you took the best running back in the draft and made some key moves on defence.Any high hopes for Justin Smith to have a break out year or someone else on the D-line?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:20:00 PM)
I'm excited about Justin this year. We need him to become a dominant player in order for us to improve.

Guest (May 4, 2004 12:21:02 PM)
Why was Madieu Williams ranked so high on your boards ?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:21:02 PM)
He jumps off the tape in both coverage and run support. And he physically and mentally matched those numbers. He was not a known quantity to the uneducated draft experts.

Andy Knight (May 4, 2004 12:21:41 PM)
A reminder: This is a moderated chat. Your questions will only appear if and when Coach Lewis has responded to them. Please keep checking your chat window to see if your question has been answered. Thanks for being with us today.

Jeremy Kepf (May 4, 2004 12:21:56 PM)
what is the difference between a good defense and an elite defense like your Super Bowl Ravens were?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:21:57 PM)
Their preparation mentally and anticipation, the ability to stay on your feet and tackle. And you never flinch.

ml (May 4, 2004 12:22:46 PM)
Who do you see as top candidates for returning kickoffs this year?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:22:47 PM)
That was a goal of ours, to improve from last season. The signing of Patrick Johnson, Deltha O'Neal and Chris Perry all should upgrade us.

MAANSTER (May 4, 2004 12:23:27 PM)
Any truth to the Internet rumor that the Bengals are looking into trading for Mike McKenzie? Also, tell Geoff Hobson to please update bengals.com.

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:23:28 PM)
Geoff is information-deprived.

whodey1142 (May 4, 2004 12:24:59 PM)
Coach, just wanted to say it feels great to be a Bengals fan. I wore the new draft day hat to the kentucky derby and so many people came up to me and told me they love the bengals. i really feel like things are turning around here. that monday night game is gonna be rockin!

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:24:59 PM)
The derby was exciting. Many Bengal fans were in attendance. The Monday night game is great for the city and our team.

Ryno (May 4, 2004 12:25:44 PM)
Coach, many are saying that Matthias Askew may be one of the steals of the draft, and that if he stayed in school very easily could have been a first rounder next year, what are you thoughts on him for this year, can he be a regular in the tackle rotation? Is he that big body we need to help plug up the middle and free up our backers?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:25:44 PM)
Matthias has the frame to be a NFL-sized defensive lineman. He has very good athletic ability.

nightchild (May 4, 2004 12:26:08 PM)
I've always been curious. What happens to a players "playbooks" when they leave the team? Is there a process for recovering them / any type of security?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:26:08 PM)
Playbooks are overrated. We throw away the material.

blackhorsecav (May 4, 2004 12:27:22 PM)
Coach, what would you focus on in terms of areas of improvement from last year? How does the offensive line look from the changes from 2003?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:27:22 PM)
I'm really excited about the prospects of competition we've developed with the addition of Bobbie Williams and Larry Moore and the maturation of Victor Leyva, Thatcher Szalay, Scott Kooistra and Alex Sulfstead. I think we've upgraded ourselves.

notpete (May 4, 2004 12:27:48 PM)
Are you looking forward to playing the Redskins this year?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:27:49 PM)
Yes. The crowd and atmosphere at Fed-Ex Field will be great.

Andy Knight (May 4, 2004 12:28:19 PM)
Coach Lewis has time for only a few more questions. Thank you for being with us today.

tmitch (May 4, 2004 12:28:27 PM)
Will Kelly Wasington get more time this season? He's a big strong target.

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:28:27 PM)
Kelley has been working extremely hard this offseason. He's competiting with Peter Warrick to be a starter.

Andy Knight (May 4, 2004 12:30:53 PM)
Mark Curnutte answers your e-mail questions each Wednesday at Cincinnati.Com/bengals.

mtoddgreen (May 4, 2004 12:29:16 PM)
With the lost of Corey Dillon who was the best back the Bengals ever had do you really think Rudy can carry the load the way Corey did for such a long time. I think that defenses last year weren't aware of Rudy. This year with him being the featured back what are your plans for him to suceed and not get frustrated

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:29:16 PM)
That would be debatable. Teams are made of players. Rudi did an outstanding job knowing everything about his assignments, run and pass.

Tomas (May 4, 2004 12:30:01 PM)
Coach Lewis, first of all thank you for coming to Cincinnati and turning this franchise around. Congratulations on a tremendous draft, it looks like you have picked up some quality players that are enthusiastic about being coached. How do you envision the defensive line and backfield playing out this year? Will we be putting more pressure on the QB and WR. Please send along my prayers to Dennis and wish him a speedy recovery.

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:30:01 PM)
We are working hard to improve as pass rushers, which will enable us to play better in the back end.

Tripp (May 4, 2004 12:30:30 PM)
Hey coach, thanks for giving me a reason to cheer again. What is the status of Daryl Gardener? I've read several reports but never heard it directly from you.

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:30:30 PM)
Daryl is a member of the Denver Broncos.

vulture3 (May 4, 2004 12:31:25 PM)
Coach, I like the Chris Perry pick-up. A lot of people questioned the move, but you and your staff were the only ones to see all of the tape, and conduct the interviews. My question is, however, couldn't he have been forecasted to be a solid selection in the second round?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:31:25 PM)
Chris was the first-rated running back on most of the NFL team's draft boards.

Ryno (May 4, 2004 12:31:59 PM)
How has the attendance been for the offseason strength program?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:32:00 PM)
We have had approximately 50 players in attendance the majority of our weeks so far.

whodey1142 (May 4, 2004 12:32:29 PM)
with the 3 day mini camp coming up friday, what do you look to get out of your players during that time??

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:32:30 PM)
We get our first look at the athletic ability and mental retention of the rookie players.

MadCat (May 4, 2004 12:33:21 PM)
Does the drafting of DT Matthias Askew and the signing of 2 CFA defensive tackles mean that Glen Steele will not be back?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:33:22 PM)
It may be difficult to fit Glen under our cap right now.

Guest (May 4, 2004 12:34:55 PM)
How can you justify going from a quarterback that gave you the best year we have had in 10 years and start a rookie the following season?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:34:55 PM)
Jon Kitna had a fine season. I would like to see us continue to progress.

Guest (May 4, 2004 12:35:40 PM)
Coach, I know you drafted to better compete with the conference teams, but the nonconference schedule this year looks fierce. Last year the team seemed to melt down when playing late in the year in Baltimore and St. Lous. What plans have you made to succeed late in the year in places like New England and Philadelphia?

Marvin Lewis (May 4, 2004 12:35:40 PM)
We need to start and finish our season better than a year ago. We must play some very difficult games against physical teams at the end of the season.

Andy Knight (May 4, 2004 12:35:15 PM)
Unfortunately, we're out of time for today. Our thanks to Coach Lewis for joining us and providing insight on the Bengals' offseason. Be sure and check back at Cincinnati.Com later this afternoon for a full transcript of today's chat.

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