GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- The Cincinnati Bengals are definitely an older team in 2001. Whether they are a better team than the outfit that won just four games last season remains to be seen.

	Richmond Webb, a free agent from Miami, takes over at left tackle.

There are a dozen players on the Cincinnati roster who are either currently 30 years old or will be 30 by the time the team breaks camp next month. Last year, the Bengals opened camp with just two 30-year-old veterans, quarterback Scott Mitchell and safety Darryl Williams, and then added offensive tackle John Jackson shortly before the preseason schedule began.

And while coach Dick LeBeau declined on Saturday to ascribe his team's poor 2000 record to a lack of veteran leadership in the locker room and on the field, several players acknowledged that the more balanced composition of the 2001 roster represents a significant improvement.

"We have a lot of players here who mean business and they probably won't hesitate to put some of the younger guys in their place, if the situation (warrants) it," quarterback Akili Smith said. "I can see already there's less goofing around by the younger guys. Some of the veterans brought in here, they get your respect just by what they have accomplished in the league."

One of the laments of former coach Bruce Coslet, who resigned three games into last season, was that ownership had purged too many older veterans, leaving him a locker room devoid of the kind of leadership every franchise needs. That should not be a factor this year. LeBeau doesn't want a team peopled by geriatrics, but he does appreciate the value of guys who have been around for a while and who know the ropes.

	“	It wasn't a conscious thing where we just decided to get older. The first thing we evaluated these guys on was whether they could still play football. ”
		— Dick LeBeau, Bengals coach

Make no mistake, Cincinnati remains among the league's youngest teams. However, the acquisition of several older players has raised the average tenure of the projected starting offensive lineup by more than two years.

Among the relative graybeards signed by the Bengals during a productive offseason where tackle Richmond Webb (34), fullback Lorenzo Neal (30), cornerback Carlton Gray (30) and defensive lineman Bernard Whittington (30). Webb will provide improved blindside protection for Bengals quarterbacks and Neal should be a devastating lead blocker in front of tailback Corey Dillon. The others afford the Bengals more experienced depth than the team has enjoyed in several years.

"It wasn't a conscious thing where we just decided to get older," LeBeau said. "The first thing we evaluated these guys on was whether they could still play football. These were football decisions, not decisions based on age. But I like the mix we have right now."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.