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A transcript of Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis' interview with Cincinnati media at the 2011 NFL scouting combine from Feb. 25:

Lewis

Have you guys had a chance to talk to Carson?
ML: I've talked to Carson.

How have the conversations been?
ML: The conversations between Carson and I will stay between Carson and I like it would any other time.

There had been some talk you might be looking for a QB (before the demand)
ML: Every year the approach is to try and improve the team. A year ago we made changes in the backup QB spot and No. 3 spot and every year you evaluate your team one to 53. And get it back as strong we can going into this training camp.

Do you feel the organization is getting hurt with negative publicity about disarray?
ML: I think Carson's statement is a significant statement, so they take it as that. That's what news is. Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers, we're all in a little disarray, that's the time of the season. In 2009 we won the division. In 2010 we weren't good enough. We're going to go back and fight our way back to the top of the division.

Your position as an organization – has it changed from Chad's trade request?
ML: I think Mike made statements on that stuff. I don't even know what he said. I'm just aware he made statements, so I'm not going to spend time or waste our fans' time to talk about speculation about No. 1, what Chad said in the past or what this guy said at this time. I just have no answer for you with that.

Do you see Chad being a Bengal this year?
ML: Chad has a year left on his contract.

How do you feel about the receiver position?
ML: Chad didn't have as strong a year as I hoped he would have had. He didn't finish because of injury, he didn’t finish as well and he had a chance right there at the end to keep going, but he wasn't able to do that the last three or four games. He didn't have a quick start to the season and he kind of got it going because coverage began to shift a little bit. As I say many times, all the time the receiver's role is dictated by what goes on. They're not as in control of the game as they think they are. If I want to go out there, I can shut out any receiver I want. Any defensive coach can. It's easy.

What Jerome and Andre accomplished at the end of the year … Andre didn't get to play as much as I'm sure he would have liked. You've make good on your opportunities. I think Jerome did some really good things physically. He laid the ball on the ground a couple of times in the last game and that you can't have. Inexperience playing out there play after play … you've got to play through that. I think Jordan (Shipley) will come back and physically (it will help) him be more productive than his rookie season. Now he understands the rigors of the NFL. Both physically and mentally how the game is played. I'm anxious for his second year, sophomore season. Quan Cosby contributed. Obviously I think it's a position going into this draft and offseason where we have an opportunity to strengthen through things.

What do you think of the class of QBs?
ML: I think it’s a good class of quarterbacks. I haven’t mentally spent time with them that way. In just watching them it seems to be a class that's been very productive in college. You've got some guys that have been long-term starters in college and have productive numbers. Then you've got Cam Newton that obviously wasn't a long-time starter but obviously accomplished what everyone else wanted to and that's win a national championship. It has kind of a wide range of both prospects, stories and experience and abilities and offenses.

One thing about these guys: They were all in offenses that threw the ball quite a bit. When you're looking for an NFL quarterback, one of the things you want to watch them do is throw the football. You can put the videotape on and these guys are throwing 350–plus passes in their last season, 350 the year before and 350-400 the year before that. You get a thorough look at their whole body of work.

Are any of them pro ready because of the widespread spread in college?
ML: I think some have certain abilities that will translate well early.

Is that an option for you?
ML: We're not going to sit here and speculate today who we're going to take in the draft unless you tell me who everybody else picks. I haven't watched enough tape to tell you all of it yet. In a couple of months tell me every pick and I'll tell you who we pick. Some of these guys look like they have the opportunity to be early players in the NFL.

Are you concerned about taking a QB that has one year of Division I experience?
ML: That's going to be something we really have to discuss hard philosophically. I think of the research over time that has not translated very well into the NFL game.

Including the Bengals.
ML: I don't speak on the past. You guys just go backwards.

When it comes to QBs, how much value are the pro days and the time here because the pro game and college game is so different?
ML: I'm real excited with Jay Gruden, Kenny (Zampese). Jay who played the position, coached the position. Really sees the development of our offense through the eyes of a quarterback and I think that's a good thing for us. As we go forward and go into this draft process, I think that's a real benefit. He has a feel for what he's looking for and what he wants to see. That will be good to listen to his evaluation of these guys. Spending time with them on their campus and here and spending time with them in Cincinnati. All these offensive prospects. That's what we're looking for.

(Gruden) has been a head coach. He's done this whole thing from the top down and I think he's anxious to get into this process for the first time in the NFL. He's really embracing it. He's not been involved in this process before so thoroughly. Now he's immersed in it. He's done it as a head coach in those leagues and he's getting a feel for what's going to be succesful in our offense.

Can Bernard (Scott) be a bell cow?
ML: I think Bernard has to take another step in development and maturity-wise, maturation physically and mentally and then, I don't know. I don't like when people set limits on people. He's a little slight. That speaks to maturing more physically. And your habits, maturing a little bit in your preparation. He certainly has great ability and we don't want to downplay that. Right now Ced (Benson) is one of those guys that we have at other spots that is unsigned. Now you're looking at Bernard Scott.

Do you have to draft in place of free agency?
ML: We're anticipating things to be as we know it. There's no question the elephant in the corner is there's an agreement that's not agreed upon. But as coaches and personnel people in the NFL we have to proceed as we know it.

Do you proceed that the free agent isn't on the depth chart?
ML: I think you do. You always do.

Why didn't you tag players this year?
ML: In our estimation and looking at the value of the tags and where we were, it's not the right time to put a tag on somebody. It has nothing to do with the CBA. It's not about the club, it's about the player.

Tag too big of a number (for Benson and cornerback Johnathan Joseph)?
ML: We all have a value and you have to understand that value. We've been in touch with both their people ... hopefully we'll talk this week and the early part of next week. Both guys are kind of settled into continuing their careers in Cincinnati.

You've got a lot of talent on the defensive line and at defensive end. Kids, veterans, a versatile free agent in (Jon) Fanene. Is it too early to make Mike Johnson and Carlos Dunlap the starters at end and move on from the vets?
ML: The guys have to earn the opportunity to start. I think Carlos finished the season very, very strong, but you'd like to get them when they're not playing 60 snaps a game, so I think Frostee (Rucker), who was injured and Robert Geathers, who was splitting time with those guys and Antwan (Odom), who was injured, and Jon, who is a free agent. …We've a group of guys we'd like to get back and working. We've got to get better. We didn't rush the passer very well. Those guys have to do a better job. We were rushing with people that we didn't have at the beginning of the season. Carlos didn't make his emergence until the midway point because of his ability to be mature enough to play NFL football.

Sounds like you want to keep Geathers and Odom.
ML: Right now they have contracts on the team and we're just going to keep going forward and see what works out best for the team.

How is (cornerback) Adam Jones?
ML: So far, so good. On schedule. He's been able to ramp up the rehab stuff. He should be cleared by the start of training camp.

Will (right tackle) Andre Smith?
ML: We'll see. He keeps progressing. I wish the progress would be quicker.

How is Andre coming along as a pro?
ML: He's doing better. I thought he got pushed sideways this year because he injured the foot again and he was out there playing on an injured foot the year he was playing. Hopefully we got the foot right and he can be ready this offseason so that he can get a strong start to the season.

You need to make a (two or four year) contract decision on Andre.
ML: I don’t worry about those decisions. Those aren't mine to make.

Linebacker. Dhani (Jones) is a free agent. You've got a dilemma in the middle if he doesn’t re-sign.
ML: I don’t think we have a dilemma in the middle at all. We've got good candidates there. At some point we’re going to make the transition to (Rey) Maualuga to the middle linebacker spot. It may be right now. We'll see how it works out. We've got to get guys going there and that's another area that's important for us to add more young players in that mix. I thought Rod Muckelroy showed me he could play in the NFL. Keith (Rivers) kind of got wounded by his foot, he's taken some steps this offseason to get him going and healthy. Brandon (Johnson) would be a free agent. See what happens with him. Vinnie Rey did a good job for us on special teams at the end of the season. Dan Skuta can play NFL football and has been a core player on special teams. So I think we're in good shape there. We need to keep adding to it. But it's a position where we can go out right now and play football and I'd feel pretty good about it.

Who plays SAM if Rey goes to the middle?
ML: Whoever the best player is. We could have any combination of guys.

How much did (fullback) Chris Pressley help the running game?
ML: He helped a little bit. We went into the season with different style runs. When we were able to bring Chris to the team and then when I was able to get him to the 45, it changed a little bit. It helped some of the things we were doing. I'll be anxious for Fui (Vakapuna), who has had good rehab after being on IR all year, and Chris and James Develin who we added at the end of the year. I think we've got three really good (fullbacks). We took a position that was not real strong at this time last year and made it strong during the season. I'm excited about those guys. Good competition there for sure.

Sounds like a tight end-friendly offense. How do you see it with Reggie (Kelly) as a free agent and how did you think Chase Coffman did?
ML: We're not going to go in and say these are our guys. We're going to add guys and try to get better. Jermaine (Gresham) had a rookie year and he's got a lot more. I think he really can be a fine, fine player. So he had his year back after not having football the year before. And Chase got an opportunity to play at the end. We just have to keep going.

How do you see safety?
ML: We took some hits there last year. It's another area we look to bolster as soon as we can. We were down some guys. Chris (Crocker) will be back and healthy. His injury (MCL) was just one of those that were longer than we could afford to hold the spot (open). Not a real significant injury but just one that made it difficult to run and play DB for eight or 10 weeks or longer. The other guy, Chinedum (Ndukwe) had real bad injury (knee). Gibril (Wilson) had a bad injury (ACL). Roy (Williams) is a free agent. Tom Nelson had mono, he'll be fine. We've got keep looking at it and get better.

You've said you'd look at safety and the offensive line in free agency.
ML: Those are some spots we can possibly add. We've got a free agent tight end in Reggie. We'll evaluate that and see if we can add a guy there. We're not going to be able to hit everything in this draft. We have to pluck off some good players and hopefully some guys on the come prior to that. That's what our plan will be.

Kind of worked well last year not moving up to trade for (USC safety Taylor) Mays?
ML: I think you can go into it and say if you can get four out of these 40-50 players or do we get six out of 80? It’s just how you look at filling in the spots. In Mike’s mind it’s better to do six out of 80. It’s always a judgment and if you have good options. Over that space if you keep filling in the needs.

The day before the draft last year if someone told me we were going to draft Jermaine, Jordan, Geno (Atkins) and Dunlap, I would have felt real good. We felt Geno, after the first two guys, was one of the best inside pass rushers that we saw. We thought Carlos was one of the better outside pass rushers and we knew Jordan was one of the best guys to come in and play football right away.

From coaching the Senior Bowl, how much is the time here spent evaluating the juniors and others?
ML: As far as the 60 interviews I can request and sit in on, we repeated three guys that were in Mobile because they were guys I didn’t get a good feel for who were on the other team. From last year we’re probably 50-60 guys deeper. That’s the good part of the time we’ve spent being around those guys.

Where this team is, Cam Newton wants to be an icon. It seems like you're tired of going down that road.
ML: We’re going to discuss that later.

Does that turn you off?
ML: I’d like to talk to him a little bit about that because that’s not what he needs to be right now. I think everyone wants to see him be a football player. We’re about football. Nobody gives two cents about you as an entertainer if you can’t play football. As good looking a guy as he is and charismatic and what he’s accomplished this is now a different level.

He’s a charismatic guy?
ML: He looks like a No. 1 draft pick. He has to be ready to work because that’s what comes with being the No. 1 draft pick.

Receiver at No. 4 a stretch?
ML: I think we’re going to have a lot of good options at number four. Right now I have done enough work that some of those position players are the value of the fourth pick. If you take the guy, he has to live up to those expectations, which are huge.

Deep draft for D-ends?
ML: I haven’t gotten far from the offensive side of the tape.

More needs on offense?
ML: That’s the way the board is set up and how I start the process. Defensive line-wise you’re not going to pass on a great player who could change the game. I haven’t studied them enough yet. This is an important process for us. We have to get going. We didn’t like the way last year ended.

Do you walk away from interview and say this isn’t a good fit?
ML: I write notes on the sheet and say this is the guy that doesn’t have the pizazz. We have to go to the campus and find out more about this guy. You have some marks and do those marks line up.

How can you help Carson become the QB he can be and also how does Jay’s system help him become that?
ML: We needed to do things that married the run and the pass and that would help our quarterback play a lot more freer and looser. There’s some different coaching philosophies as far as how we put the offense together. Get the ball out quicker. How we install and do things that way. Our ability to incorporate young players quicker. To be attacking and those are the things that play well for players. I’ve been pleased with what we have been able to do so far and if there’s been one comment I have gotten this week it’s been ‘How in the world did you know about Jay?’ and that’s been the common thing. And everyone to a coach has just sung his praises. We all know what he’s been doing and he’s made an impact. As someone said he hasn’t wanted to do it until now. Being able to hire James (Urban as receivers coach) was the icing on the cake and bring in a guy who has been in a similar system.

Do you have a time frame of getting Jay and Carson together?
ML: I don’t think that’s Jay’s responsibility to do. I think whatever has been said has been said. We’re going to go and get ready for the football team. All I’m in control with is what we’ve got.

Why not let (secondary coach Kevin) Coyle interview for Eagles defensive coordinator?
ML: Every time that happens that’s something Mike and I talk about. We don’t treat them all the same and look at each one individually. We had a number of coaches approached about a number of things. Some were allowed to and some were not. That’s the system we’re in now. It’s up to the option of the owner. To Andy (Reid)'s credit he went about it the right way. There was no behind the scenes deal. I spoke to Kevin and Mike about it.

(Coyle has) done a real good job. It’s a hard thing. I was put in that situation in Pittsburgh and the next time because of being denied I did it the next time. It is hard because you want to let coaches have 2-3 year contracts and sometimes that’s not the best thing.

What about (Mike) Sheppard’s situation where he’s going to be the QB coach in Jacksonville?
ML: He did and it gave us an opportunity to bring in a coach along with Jay. Mike Sheppard coached me and taught me how to coach. He’s going down there to coach with my friends. I didn’t want to see him go but I’m happy for him. We did it and it worked out well for both parties.

How are things with you and Mike (Brown)?
ML: Mike and I are real good. I have to do a hell of a job to get the franchise back to where it belongs. I’m excited about it and can’t wait to keep working about it.

It’s grinding right now …
ML: It’s a new opportunity to get better, go forward. Players get injured and we have to learn and understand that. The best team goes to the Super Bowl and that’s the thing they have to understand.

Looks like a non-star system …
ML: I want guys to be the best position players they can be. I want them to do it because people recognize they’re good players. Not because they talked themselves into it. Make people around you better. Our players are excited about it and the opportunity ahead of them. Last year we wanted to come out of training camp physically healthy. We did and we got our butts kicked. The next week we were physical but in New England we got our heads beat in.

Want to get back to that ’09 style on offense?
ML: It starts a mindset from whenever we do from installation to when I met with Jay and how we saw the evolution of the offense. It’s all part that way. We have to play defense, we gave up far too many big plays and didn’t close out games.

Is it a stretch to say your starting QB for the upcoming season isn’t on this roster?
ML: I don’t know that. All I know is what’s been said. You have to take it from what we know. From what I’ve been told what was said (is that he won’t be here). That’s the way I’m proceeding.

That’s why you’re talking to Newton?
ML: Unfortunately we earned the fourth pick in the draft. We have to find out if that is where Newton’s value is regardless of everything else.

Talking to (George receiver A.J.) Green?
ML: We’re talking to most juniors who are highly rated at every position.