Bengals Coach Dick Dick LeBeau Will Get New Offensive Coord.

AFC Central Roundup: Restoring Roar To Bengals Offense; Browns Evaluation Takes Holiday Break

Cincinnati may be looking for another 'quarterback of the future' come this spring's draft.

And he will be tutored by former offensive coordinator Ken Anderson.

Bengals President Mike Brown announced Tuesday that Anderson had been demoted to quarterbacks coach. And Brown wants four quarterbacks in camp next summer to compete for the starting spot.

'We're going to try to add one good, viable, competitive guy and put chips on him and hope we bet on the right horse,' Brown told the Cincinnati Enqurier.

Brown said Anderson's role will be to work with former first round pick Akilli Smith, who the team benched in October. The Enquirer reports the relationship between Anderson and Smith became strained after Anderson took over coordinator duties.

'Akili will be in that competition,” Brown said. 'Maybe if we do the right things with Akili, maybe we can have success with him here. I don't discount that. That is a very viable option for us. But it is only one alternative. We are going to have more than one when we start out.'

Brown said the team could pick another quarterback in April's draft or go after a veteran to compete with Smith and Scott Mitchell. Mitchell signed a one-year deal last summer but has said he would like to return to Cincinnati.

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The Browns will resume their organizational evaluations following the holidays.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports owner Al Lerner and president Carmen Policy met separately with coach Chris Palmer and director of football operations Dwight Clark Thursday.

No one would comment on the topics discussed but the newspaper reported questions raised included:

* Palmer's tough training camp and the relationship to the team's injury problems

* Necessary changes to make the offense more similar to the San Francisco style

* Possible assistance from former Pittsburgh personnel man Tom Donahoe, a move that was reportedly reacted by Clark.

The Browns finished their second campaign back in the NFL 3-13.