Redskins could be a sensible landing spot for Bengals coach Marvin Lewis

Marvin Lewis is likely to be available after his contract with the Bengals expires. The Washington Redskins could be a sensible landing spot for him.

Marvin Lewis has been the coach of the Cincinnati Bengals for what seems like an eternity. He has spent the past 14 years with the NFC North squad and is the second longest tenured head coach in the league behind Bill Belichick. While Lewis hasn’t had much success in the postseason, he did a lot to bring the Bengals back to prominence after a time when they were considered one of the worst franchises in the league. That’s what allowed him to keep his job for so long.

However, it appears that Lewis and the Bengals are going to part ways after this season. This is a sensible decision given the fact that the Bengals are mired in one of their worst seasons in recent memory and Lewis’ contract is going to expire. It’s just time for the team to find a new voice at the position and it’s time for Lewis to get a new gig too. And the Washington Redskins could offer Lewis what he is looking for in the next chapter of his career.

On the surface, that may seem like a strange statement. Jay Gruden is currently entrenched as the head coach, and the win over the Cardinals on Sunday did a lot to ensure that he will keep his job for another season. Gruden has had trouble motivating the Redskins in the past, but the team will be willing to write off his shortcomings this season to the plethora of players they have on Injured Reserve. Still, bringing in Lewis wouldn’t necessarily displace Gruden or anyone else on the coaching staff.

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According to sources including NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Lewis has expressed interest in moving to a front office role. Lewis has always been very involved in personnel decisions for the Bengals, and he has done well to uncover some solid players during his time with Bengals. He has done particularly well finding players in the second round like Carlos Dunlap, Andrew Whitworth, Andy Dalton, and Giovani Bernard during his time with the team.

For the Redskins, Lewis could come in and work alongside Doug Williams to evaluate the Redskins current and future personnel. With Bruce Allen in the front office, bringing in another great football mind is a good idea given the issues that Allen has had identifying talent in previous drafts. Bringing in Lewis would add a respected coaching veteran to the room and he would add a new dimension to their talent evaluation system.

Also, it’s worth noting that Lewis is very familiar with Gruden. Gruden was the offensive coordinator for the Bengals for three seasons under Lewis and during that time, Dalton was able to grow as a passer. Lewis will know the types of players that Gruden looks for and that could allow him to find some quality playmakers in the coming offseason which will be a critical one for the Redskins.

Additionally, Lewis could work as a consultant for the defense if Gruden and Greg Manusky decide they need help with a certain aspect of the game that Lewis is well versed in. Lewis actually was the Redskins defensive coordinator in 2002, just before he took the Bengals job, and he led the team to a top five defense that year. So, having a man with that type of experience around in both a front office and a coaching consultant role could work well for the team.

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There would be little downside to bringing Lewis to the team. He’s familiar with Washington, he’s familiar with Gruden, and he’s a bright football mind. Having him around could help the Redskins to improve all-around during the 2018 offseason.

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