Marvin Lewis 2011: Can He Duplicate Love Smith 2010?

Now that Marvin Lewis re-upped with the Bengals for two more seasons, the question is: Can Marvin Lewis in 2011 do what Lovie Smith did in 2010?

Lovie Smith was coming off a bad season in 2009. The Bears were 7-9, but the last two games were wins, and the season felt worse than 7-9. Jay Cutler was not playing well, the offense didn’t look good at all, the O-Line had some real issues, and the defense didn’t look good. The Bears had a lot of injuries. Many were surprised Lovie didn’t get the ziggy right then and there, and most didn’t expect him to last beyond 2010.

Lovie made some changes in his coaching, got a few new coaches (namely Mike Martz on offense, replacing Ron Turner; and Rod Marinelli as the new defensive coordinator, replacing … Lovie Smith). The Bears signed Julius Peppers, who played really really well, and got Brian Urlacher back from the DL, who also played really really well.

Bottom line: 11-5, NFC North Championship, Lovie has new-found respect.

I do think that Marvin could do something like that for the Bengals. They have some real weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball. But a free agent or two could shore up that defensive backfield. One good offensive lineman, maybe, and a veteran wide receiver who would run a route, lose TO and Ocho, and who knows? Also, I would like to see the Bengals get a personnel director who would have some real power. I don’t think they are getting a GM, but it would be a (very very small) step in the right direction to get an experienced personnel man from the outside who could shore up that department.

Arian Foster and the OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2009

I totally whiffed on Arian Foster. Foster was an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee who was signed by the Houston Texans after the 2009 draft. After I picked the original OCADNGDT in 2008, I decided to scale back the number of folks I added to the team. So I went from five running backs to three: P.J. Hill RB 5'10¼" 222 Wisconsin; Herb Donaldson RB 5'9⅞" 224 Western Illinois; and Kory Sheets RB 5'11⅛" 208 Purdue. Arian Foster is 6'1" 215. I didn’t think he was all that special, and neither did the drafters, since he was undrafted.

I liked Hill and Donaldson because they were both very productive and were tanks in college. I liked Sheets because I thought he was productive and had “third down back” written all over him.

Well, Foster beat out Steve Slaton, who I thought had a good chance to be a top back in the NFL after his 1,200 yards rushing as a rookie in 2008. And then Foster went on to win the 2010 rushing title with 1,616 rushing yards, also leading the league in yards from scrimmage (2,220), rushing touchdowns (16), and total touchdowns (18).

Foster broke the NFL single-season rushing record for an undrafted player, bettering Priest Holmes (1,615 in 2002) by one yard with a two-yard carry on his final attempt of the game. Foster also had 604 yards receiving to become the sixth player in league history to reach 1,500 yards rushing and 600 yards receiving in the same year.

P.J. Hill, who I was really high on, was signed by the New Orleans Saints after not being drafted out of Wisconsin. He was on their practice squad until the Eagles signed him. They put in on their practice squad a week later, and the Redskins signed him. He spent the offseason with the Redskins, who cut him in May. The Saints re-signed him, he tore his triceps, and he spent the year on the IR.

Donaldson was also signed by the Saints after the draft. He was on the Saints practice squad until November 2009. The Cowboys signed him in December 2009 and put him on their practice squad. He was waived by the Cowboys in final cuts in training camp 2010, but the Titans put him on their practice squad.

Sheets was signed by the 49ers, who put him on their practice squad. He was signed by the Dolphins to their active roster in October 2009. He tore his Achilles tendon in 2010 training camp was waived by the Dolphins.