February 25, 2025 • 5 mins
General Manager Omar Khan sits down with Rob King at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
All right, O, mar thanks very much for being with us.
First question, Yeah, first question for you. Team starts ten
and three. Obviously we saw what happened down the stretch.
How do you kind of evaluate the season overall?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
You know, I'd say, you know, we were ten and three,
we felt good about where we were, but the reality
is we lost five fraight games and that's unacceptable and
it's not good enough, and you know, so it's disappointing
how it ended, and it can't happen again. Where you know,
we have to be self aware and review everything that
we've done and how we do it, and we're in
(00:35):
the process of doing that and make sure that doesn't
happen again.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I think the argument can be made and has been made,
that the quarterback position is the most important position in
all of sports. Art Rooney said after the year, Look,
you got good production from Justin Field, good production from
Buston Wilson at times both of them that he wants
to make a decision at the quarterback position. Where does
that stand as we sit here today?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Reality is right now, you know, three guys we had
last year on the roster are not on the contract,
So you know, our preferences to be able to have
one or a combination of those guys as part of
our roster in twenty twenty five. Right now, all options
are on the table until that happens. But that's that's
where it's handed.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
You've had two very well regarded drafts. How do you
feel about the process leading up to the draft with
you and your scouts and your team.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I feel really good about a process. You know, we
always do review it every year to see, hey, how
can we get better? You know, what can we do
differently that's gonna maybe help us out. But you know,
the group that I have a great group of people
that work that I work with. But yeah, overall, I
feel good about the process. You know, I love being
here in Indianapolis. I've been coming here since I think
nineteen ninety seven, since I was when I was an
(01:42):
intern with the Saints, and you know, I just love
it. It's a great process, it's fun, and this is the
opportunity for us to acquire players that are going to
help us win our championship.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I did want to get back to the Combines in
a moment, but first, you know, looking back at last
year's class, four of your seven guys basically didn't play,
but they did have a chance to go through the
offseason workouts, to go through some of the camp, to
sit into meetings, that sort of thing. So how do
you evaluate those players?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, you know, it's almost like a red shirt year
for those guys, right, you know, you hate that that happened,
that these guys were injured because we felt like all all,
all of those guys gotta helped us last year. You know,
guys get hurt and unfortunately, you know that we had
some draft picks, but you know, I'm glad we have
them going into twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So fans get to see the sprints and the cone
drills and the workouts. Is there a single most valuable
part of the combines for you and your staff?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So I'll say what I get, what I enjoy the most,
or I think it's it's for me, it's important. It's
really the interviews, you know, the opportunity to spend time
with these guys on the formal interviews at night. When
we get those guys, it's so important, you know. We
we take full advantage of that time getting to know
the player, identifying if he's a Steeler, if he's the
right type of player for us and the guy that
(02:54):
can help us win. You know, we want guys that
are that are winners and you know that love football
and winning is important to them. So the interviews for
me are a big part of this.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
What else are you and your staff trying to accomplish
here in Indianapolis?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
You mentioned getting to know those guys, but then also
you know, the field works important, so you know, you know,
we'll see how many guys actually participate out there, but
you know, the field work, it's it's an opportunity for
us to reaffirm what the scouts saw on tape, so
you know, and we have some meeting schedule here with
our our the agents, some of our players, and you
(03:30):
know there's a business to be done here too.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
As you look at the draft, are there strengths and
weaknesses of this year's draft? And what would you classify
as the strengths and weaknesses?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
It's a solid draft, you know, it's been well documented.
The running back prospects are pretty pretty good this year.
There's there's a ton of guys and that we would
feel good about. And I think the d line has
a good core group, the edge rushers there's a good
group corps of edge rushers out there, you know. I
think there's some playmakers out there, guys that get you know,
(04:00):
you can get in the early round, not only in
the early rounds, but in the later rounds. You know.
I'm really excited about it, you know. And the process continues,
and there's still a lot of time between now and April.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So see, you have quite a bit of cap space available,
and you've been aggressive in free agency since you you've
been in the gentleman aged. You've gotten starters, and you've
spent good money in free agency, and you've been aggressive.
Do you expect that to continue this year?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I'd say we will be consistent with the way things
have gone in the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So I think this is a fascinating question about team building. Right,
So you have the draft, you also have free agency.
So does one inform the other? I mean, can you
look at free agency and say, well, we think player
position X running back is great, so maybe we don't
pursue that as much.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
In free absolutely, you know, you kind of evaluate that.
But the reality is sometimes a player might at a
position of need, might might still be sitting there in
free agency. That might make sense for you, or something
might come your way that maybe you didn't think was
going to come your way at the beginning. You know,
there's a lot of moving parts with this, and but
you know, you look at it all. One obviously affects
(05:01):
the other, but you have to balance how how that works.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, you're trying to maximize like your roster right by
these two processes.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, you know, we're always trying to add good players
at every position group, so you just try to get better.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
So for all the fans out there, what happens now
next after these combines wrap up, what is sort of
the next phase for you and your staff?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Sure, we head back, you know to Pittsburgh after this weekend.
We go back and kind of reassess some things that
we saw here, and then the guys just really start
hitting the pro days. That's the next phase of this.
You know, Coach and I will attend to several pro days.
We're we're trying to figure out where we need to
go we'll make the most sense. But scouts will all
be out there. We know some of the assistant coaches,
we might be strategic as to where we send them.
(05:45):
And then you know, the guys. Come back in April.
We have our next next phase of draft meetings, and
then you know, the draft. Draft be here before we
know it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
It can't wait. Omar, thanks very much your time.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I appreciate having me on. It was a pleasure.
All right, O, mar thanks very much for being with us.
First question, Yeah, first question for you. Team starts ten
and three. Obviously we saw what happened down the stretch.
How do you kind of evaluate the season overall?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
You know, I'd say, you know, we were ten and three,
we felt good about where we were, but the reality
is we lost five fraight games and that's unacceptable and
it's not good enough, and you know, so it's disappointing
how it ended, and it can't happen again. Where you know,
we have to be self aware and review everything that
we've done and how we do it, and we're in
(00:35):
the process of doing that and make sure that doesn't
happen again.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I think the argument can be made and has been made,
that the quarterback position is the most important position in
all of sports. Art Rooney said after the year, Look,
you got good production from Justin Field, good production from
Buston Wilson at times both of them that he wants
to make a decision at the quarterback position. Where does
that stand as we sit here today?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Reality is right now, you know, three guys we had
last year on the roster are not on the contract,
So you know, our preferences to be able to have
one or a combination of those guys as part of
our roster in twenty twenty five. Right now, all options
are on the table until that happens. But that's that's
where it's handed.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
You've had two very well regarded drafts. How do you
feel about the process leading up to the draft with
you and your scouts and your team.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I feel really good about a process. You know, we
always do review it every year to see, hey, how
can we get better? You know, what can we do
differently that's gonna maybe help us out. But you know,
the group that I have a great group of people
that work that I work with. But yeah, overall, I
feel good about the process. You know, I love being
here in Indianapolis. I've been coming here since I think
nineteen ninety seven, since I was when I was an
(01:42):
intern with the Saints, and you know, I just love
it. It's a great process, it's fun, and this is the
opportunity for us to acquire players that are going to
help us win our championship.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I did want to get back to the Combines in
a moment, but first, you know, looking back at last
year's class, four of your seven guys basically didn't play,
but they did have a chance to go through the
offseason workouts, to go through some of the camp, to
sit into meetings, that sort of thing. So how do
you evaluate those players?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, you know, it's almost like a red shirt year
for those guys, right, you know, you hate that that happened,
that these guys were injured because we felt like all all,
all of those guys gotta helped us last year. You know,
guys get hurt and unfortunately, you know that we had
some draft picks, but you know, I'm glad we have
them going into twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So fans get to see the sprints and the cone
drills and the workouts. Is there a single most valuable
part of the combines for you and your staff?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So I'll say what I get, what I enjoy the most,
or I think it's it's for me, it's important. It's
really the interviews, you know, the opportunity to spend time
with these guys on the formal interviews at night. When
we get those guys, it's so important, you know. We
we take full advantage of that time getting to know
the player, identifying if he's a Steeler, if he's the
right type of player for us and the guy that
(02:54):
can help us win. You know, we want guys that
are that are winners and you know that love football
and winning is important to them. So the interviews for
me are a big part of this.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
What else are you and your staff trying to accomplish
here in Indianapolis?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
You mentioned getting to know those guys, but then also
you know, the field works important, so you know, you know,
we'll see how many guys actually participate out there, but
you know, the field work, it's it's an opportunity for
us to reaffirm what the scouts saw on tape, so
you know, and we have some meeting schedule here with
our our the agents, some of our players, and you
(03:30):
know there's a business to be done here too.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
As you look at the draft, are there strengths and
weaknesses of this year's draft? And what would you classify
as the strengths and weaknesses?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
It's a solid draft, you know, it's been well documented.
The running back prospects are pretty pretty good this year.
There's there's a ton of guys and that we would
feel good about. And I think the d line has
a good core group, the edge rushers there's a good
group corps of edge rushers out there, you know. I
think there's some playmakers out there, guys that get you know,
(04:00):
you can get in the early round, not only in
the early rounds, but in the later rounds. You know.
I'm really excited about it, you know. And the process continues,
and there's still a lot of time between now and April.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So see, you have quite a bit of cap space available,
and you've been aggressive in free agency since you you've
been in the gentleman aged. You've gotten starters, and you've
spent good money in free agency, and you've been aggressive.
Do you expect that to continue this year?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I'd say we will be consistent with the way things
have gone in the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So I think this is a fascinating question about team building. Right,
So you have the draft, you also have free agency.
So does one inform the other? I mean, can you
look at free agency and say, well, we think player
position X running back is great, so maybe we don't
pursue that as much.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
In free absolutely, you know, you kind of evaluate that.
But the reality is sometimes a player might at a
position of need, might might still be sitting there in
free agency. That might make sense for you, or something
might come your way that maybe you didn't think was
going to come your way at the beginning. You know,
there's a lot of moving parts with this, and but
you know, you look at it all. One obviously affects
(05:01):
the other, but you have to balance how how that works.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, you're trying to maximize like your roster right by
these two processes.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, you know, we're always trying to add good players
at every position group, so you just try to get better.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
So for all the fans out there, what happens now
next after these combines wrap up, what is sort of
the next phase for you and your staff?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Sure, we head back, you know to Pittsburgh after this weekend.
We go back and kind of reassess some things that
we saw here, and then the guys just really start
hitting the pro days. That's the next phase of this.
You know, Coach and I will attend to several pro days.
We're we're trying to figure out where we need to
go we'll make the most sense. But scouts will all
be out there. We know some of the assistant coaches,
we might be strategic as to where we send them.
(05:45):
And then you know, the guys. Come back in April.
We have our next next phase of draft meetings, and
then you know, the draft. Draft be here before we
know it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
It can't wait. Omar, thanks very much your time.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I appreciate having me on. It was a pleasure.
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