Bengals News (2/5): Anthony Munoz’s super weekend

Anthony Munoz Enjoys One In A Hundred Week
Sitting next to Munoz on the bus back to the downtown Miami hotel had been Bruce Matthews, his Hall-of-Fame AFC Central offensive line counterpart from the Houston Oilers of the 1980s and 1990s. Sitting in front of him had been Roger "The Dodger," Staubach, the great Cowboys quarterback that Munoz watched growing up in the Ontario, Calif., of the 1960s and 1970s turning the last two minutes into lasting moments. Since Staubach is a native of Cincinnati and Cincinnati is where Munoz has spent the last 40 years blessing, there had been a lot to talk about.

Why the Bengals' front office is on the clock this offseason
In April, Cincinnati could draft Burrow with the top overall pick in the draft and acquire its quarterback of the future, one who could revitalize a despondent fan base and help a franchise without a playoff win for almost 30 years.

Arizona State names ex-Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, former Pro Bowler Antonio Pierce co-defensive coordinators
Arizona State coach Herm Edwards lost defensive coordinator Tony White to Syracuse on Tuesday, but wasted no time in finding his replacements. The school announced Tuesday night that former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and former NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Antonio Pierce will be the co-defensive coordinators for the 2020 Sun Devils.

Joe Burrow to work with former Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh ahead of 2020 NFL Draft
Go on any NFL mock draft in the country, including CBS NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson's newest mock draft, and you'll see Joe Burrow's name beside the Bengals' logo as the No. 1 overall pick. While anything can happen, it's almost a foregone conclusion that the Bengals, who appeared to move on from the Andy Dalton era last season, will draft Burrow, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who led the LSU Tigers to an undefeated, national championship season in 2019.

Marvin Lewis goes from Bengals head coach to Arizona State co-defensive coordinator
This will be Lewis’ first actual coaching job since he was let go by the Cincinnati Bengals last year after 16 seasons with the team. Lewis held a 131-122 record with the Bengals, but infamously went 0-7 as a head coach in the playoffs and posted a losing record in his final three seasons.

The people in Joe Burrow’s orbit keep saying interesting things
He’s also working with former quarterback Jordan Palmer, whose brother Carson has dragged the Bengals for not being serious about winning. Burrow also raised some eyebrows by saying he wanted to play for a team that was “committed to winning Super Bowls,” creating a natural suspicion if the Palmer influence was shining through.

Around the league

Sammy Watkins needs 'downtime' after playoff run
"At the end of the day, I think the Kansas City Chiefs are in control as far as contract talks, you know? A guy of my stature, I'm still young, I still think I have a lot of good football in me. But as you know, it takes a toll on the body, the mental, the physical and I'm gonna really weigh my options out and see if I need to sit out the whole OTAs or something like that, just to get my mental back and be with my kids and family," Watkins said. "It's been a long season for the last two years. We've been in the playoffs, going all the way to the third round last year, then won the Super Bowl. So I honestly think mentally, physically, soulfully, spiritually, I need some downtime. So I will talk to coach [Andy] Reid about it.

Le'Veon Bell: Gase relationship blown out of proportion
Bell signed a four-year, $52.5 million contract in New York last offseason, under former general manager Mike Maccagnan. Bell said he plans to play out the remaining three years of the deal "unless something drastic changes."

Wes Horton retires as latest Panthers veteran to leave
"I've been back and forth on my future playing football and after coming to a conclusion I will be stepping away from the game of football," Horton wrote. "I've made this decision off two reasons. The first is my overall health. The little injuries I've accumulated over the years have finally caught up to me and when weighing the risk, I'd rather preserve what's left of my body. Second reason being the conviction Christ has put on my heart to help teach and mentor the next generation."

49ers' Joe Woods interviewing for Browns' DC job
Woods got his start as an NFL assistant in Tampa Bay in 2004 as a defensive quality control coach. When Mike Tomlin got the DC job in Minnesota, Woods followed him from the Bucs to the Vikings, where he spent eight seasons as the defensive backs coach from 2006-2013. It was there Woods met Stefanski, who was in Minnesota during Woods' entire run.