WEBVTT - 1-on-1: Omar Khan - February 25, 2025

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<v Speaker 1>All right, O, mar thanks very much for being with us.

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<v Speaker 1>First question, Yeah, first question for you. Team starts ten

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<v Speaker 1>and three. Obviously we saw what happened down the stretch.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you kind of evaluate the season overall?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I'd say, you know, we were ten and three,

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<v Speaker 2>we felt good about where we were, but the reality

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<v Speaker 2>is we lost five fraight games and that's unacceptable and

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<v Speaker 2>it's not good enough, and you know, so it's disappointing

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<v Speaker 2>how it ended, and it can't happen again. Where you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we have to be self aware and review everything that

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<v Speaker 2>we've done and how we do it, and we're in

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<v Speaker 2>the process of doing that and make sure that doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>happen again.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the argument can be made and has been made,

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<v Speaker 1>that the quarterback position is the most important position in

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<v Speaker 1>all of sports. Art Rooney said after the year, Look,

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<v Speaker 1>you got good production from Justin Field, good production from

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<v Speaker 1>Buston Wilson at times both of them that he wants

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<v Speaker 1>to make a decision at the quarterback position. Where does

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<v Speaker 1>that stand as we sit here today?

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<v Speaker 2>Reality is right now, you know, three guys we had

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<v Speaker 2>last year on the roster are not on the contract,

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<v Speaker 2>So you know, our preferences to be able to have

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<v Speaker 2>one or a combination of those guys as part of

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<v Speaker 2>our roster in twenty twenty five. Right now, all options

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<v Speaker 2>are on the table until that happens. But that's that's

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<v Speaker 2>where it's handed.

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<v Speaker 1>You've had two very well regarded drafts. How do you

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<v Speaker 1>feel about the process leading up to the draft with

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<v Speaker 1>you and your scouts and your team.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel really good about a process. You know, we

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<v Speaker 2>always do review it every year to see, hey, how

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<v Speaker 2>can we get better? You know, what can we do

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<v Speaker 2>differently that's gonna maybe help us out. But you know,

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<v Speaker 2>the group that I have a great group of people

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<v Speaker 2>that work that I work with. But yeah, overall, I

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<v Speaker 2>feel good about the process. You know, I love being

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<v Speaker 2>here in Indianapolis. I've been coming here since I think

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<v Speaker 2>nineteen ninety seven, since I was when I was an

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<v Speaker 2>intern with the Saints, and you know, I just love

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<v Speaker 2>it. It's a great process, it's fun, and this is the

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<v Speaker 2>opportunity for us to acquire players that are going to

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<v Speaker 2>help us win our championship.

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<v Speaker 1>I did want to get back to the Combines in

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<v Speaker 1>a moment, but first, you know, looking back at last

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<v Speaker 1>year's class, four of your seven guys basically didn't play,

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<v Speaker 1>but they did have a chance to go through the

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<v Speaker 1>offseason workouts, to go through some of the camp, to

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<v Speaker 1>sit into meetings, that sort of thing. So how do

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<v Speaker 1>you evaluate those players?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, it's almost like a red shirt year

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<v Speaker 2>for those guys, right, you know, you hate that that happened,

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<v Speaker 2>that these guys were injured because we felt like all all,

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<v Speaker 2>all of those guys gotta helped us last year. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>guys get hurt and unfortunately, you know that we had

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<v Speaker 2>some draft picks, but you know, I'm glad we have

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<v Speaker 2>them going into twenty twenty five.

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<v Speaker 1>So fans get to see the sprints and the cone

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<v Speaker 1>drills and the workouts. Is there a single most valuable

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<v Speaker 1>part of the combines for you and your staff?

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<v Speaker 2>So I'll say what I get, what I enjoy the most,

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<v Speaker 2>or I think it's it's for me, it's important. It's

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<v Speaker 2>really the interviews, you know, the opportunity to spend time

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<v Speaker 2>with these guys on the formal interviews at night. When

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<v Speaker 2>we get those guys, it's so important, you know. We

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<v Speaker 2>we take full advantage of that time getting to know

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<v Speaker 2>the player, identifying if he's a Steeler, if he's the

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<v Speaker 2>right type of player for us and the guy that

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<v Speaker 2>can help us win. You know, we want guys that

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<v Speaker 2>are that are winners and you know that love football

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<v Speaker 2>and winning is important to them. So the interviews for

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<v Speaker 2>me are a big part of this.

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<v Speaker 1>What else are you and your staff trying to accomplish

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<v Speaker 1>here in Indianapolis?

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<v Speaker 2>You mentioned getting to know those guys, but then also

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the field works important, so you know, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we'll see how many guys actually participate out there, but

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the field work, it's it's an opportunity for

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<v Speaker 2>us to reaffirm what the scouts saw on tape, so

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<v Speaker 2>you know, and we have some meeting schedule here with

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<v Speaker 2>our our the agents, some of our players, and you

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<v Speaker 2>know there's a business to be done here too.

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<v Speaker 1>As you look at the draft, are there strengths and

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<v Speaker 1>weaknesses of this year's draft? And what would you classify

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<v Speaker 1>as the strengths and weaknesses?

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<v Speaker 2>It's a solid draft, you know, it's been well documented.

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<v Speaker 2>The running back prospects are pretty pretty good this year.

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<v Speaker 2>There's there's a ton of guys and that we would

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<v Speaker 2>feel good about. And I think the d line has

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<v Speaker 2>a good core group, the edge rushers there's a good

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<v Speaker 2>group corps of edge rushers out there, you know. I

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<v Speaker 2>think there's some playmakers out there, guys that get you know,

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<v Speaker 2>you can get in the early round, not only in

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<v Speaker 2>the early rounds, but in the later rounds. You know.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm really excited about it, you know. And the process continues,

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<v Speaker 2>and there's still a lot of time between now and April.

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<v Speaker 1>So see, you have quite a bit of cap space available,

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<v Speaker 1>and you've been aggressive in free agency since you you've

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<v Speaker 1>been in the gentleman aged. You've gotten starters, and you've

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<v Speaker 1>spent good money in free agency, and you've been aggressive.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you expect that to continue this year?

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<v Speaker 2>I'd say we will be consistent with the way things

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<v Speaker 2>have gone in the last couple of years.

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<v Speaker 1>So I think this is a fascinating question about team building. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>So you have the draft, you also have free agency.

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<v Speaker 1>So does one inform the other? I mean, can you

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<v Speaker 1>look at free agency and say, well, we think player

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<v Speaker 1>position X running back is great, so maybe we don't

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<v Speaker 1>pursue that as much.

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<v Speaker 2>In free absolutely, you know, you kind of evaluate that.

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<v Speaker 2>But the reality is sometimes a player might at a

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<v Speaker 2>position of need, might might still be sitting there in

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<v Speaker 2>free agency. That might make sense for you, or something

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<v Speaker 2>might come your way that maybe you didn't think was

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<v Speaker 2>going to come your way at the beginning. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>there's a lot of moving parts with this, and but

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<v Speaker 2>you know, you look at it all. One obviously affects

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<v Speaker 2>the other, but you have to balance how how that works.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, you're trying to maximize like your roster right by

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<v Speaker 1>these two processes.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, we're always trying to add good players

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<v Speaker 2>at every position group, so you just try to get better.

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<v Speaker 1>So for all the fans out there, what happens now

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<v Speaker 1>next after these combines wrap up, what is sort of

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<v Speaker 1>the next phase for you and your staff?

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<v Speaker 2>Sure, we head back, you know to Pittsburgh after this weekend.

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<v Speaker 2>We go back and kind of reassess some things that

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<v Speaker 2>we saw here, and then the guys just really start

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<v Speaker 2>hitting the pro days. That's the next phase of this.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, Coach and I will attend to several pro days.

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<v Speaker 2>We're we're trying to figure out where we need to

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<v Speaker 2>go we'll make the most sense. But scouts will all

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<v Speaker 2>be out there. We know some of the assistant coaches,

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<v Speaker 2>we might be strategic as to where we send them.

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<v Speaker 2>And then you know, the guys. Come back in April.

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<v Speaker 2>We have our next next phase of draft meetings, and

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<v Speaker 2>then you know, the draft. Draft be here before we

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<v Speaker 2>know it.

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<v Speaker 1>It can't wait. Omar, thanks very much your time.

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<v Speaker 2>I appreciate having me on. It was a pleasure.