Q. What is your plan to put this team in winning situations this year?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Well, you know what, I'm proud of the people that we have on this team on and off the field. Obviously the end of the season didn't go the way we want it to, but at the same time, making the playoffs the last six of the last seven years, being in the last two of six Super Bowls, I feel like we've developed a winning culture, and we've got to add to that.
I feel like we have a lot of work to do. I'm a little bit excited about kind of aggressively going after some future players that we did to start this off and bringing back at least one of our guys.
It's a good start, but we've got a lot of work to do and excited to do it with the people that we've got the opportunity to do it.
Q. Can you give us an opportunity with Haason Reddick? He was allowed to seek a trade. Do you expect him to be back next year?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I can tell you this, Haason obviously an unbelievable player for Philadelphia. Great success story, Camden, Temple, Philly. Love having Haason.
Anything you're trying to do, you're trying to blend what you're trying to do this year and how you're looking in the future. I think that's the hardest job. Certainly don't want to get into any specifics with any conversations with the players, but have tremendous respect for the player and the person.
Q. What's the best case scenario?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I think honest communication is the best case scenario with all your players and understanding where you stand and not being afraid to have open doors of communication and hearing how they feel and how we feel.
Q. The first time you ever met Kirby, your initial reaction visiting with him? What makes he and his coaching staff so successful preparing their guys for the week?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I think, when you talk about Kirby and you talk about the experiences he had that led him to Georgia, phenomenal experiences, history of winning. Then he's got a culture down there of working and mentality. Obviously that travels on both sides of the ball.
You watch our defensive guys, and they're prepared to work. They're not looking for any half ass ways of doing things. They're looking to work hard and to win and compete, and that's because of the culture he set.
Q. With Haason, how much does this affect your plans when it comes to the draft and also looking more ahead because of the uncertainty?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I'd say obviously it's always a position that we're evaluating, we're looking at. I don't think that anything's changed in terms of that. It's our job to make sure we're prepared for any eventuality at any position. You do that by preparing for the draft process, which this is a great part of that is getting more information and information gathering, knowing what's out there in free agency and knowing where your players are.
Q. How do you take advantage of the salary cap increase?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Just the way you take advantage of anything. You just bring in a lot of good people. That's the key is for us to bring in good people. Overall, to try to keep those guys in Philadelphia, to sign them to an extension, and build a culture of guys who it's important for them, the team's important, the city's important for them, and I think we've got a good start on that.
Q. You said you don't want to overreact to an aberration. As you analyze this, do you view the last few weeks as an aberration?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I don't know that I think about it other than how do we improve? How do we get better as quickly as we can? How do we put our resources in the right position? How do we make good decisions after good decisions?
Certainly we weren't good enough. I think that luckily we've gotten to a point here where the standard is trying to compete for World Championships. So if a season ends, whether it's this year, which was disappointing, or last year, which was disappointing, that's really what we're trying to do.
I think it's clear to me that we weren't good enough to do that this year. So I've got to do whatever I possibly can to do better, and I've got to look at it with open eyes and think about what things that I can do to help the team do better next year.
Q. What's your biggest deterrent when evaluating the quarterbacks? What's some of the things that you don't want to see? Could be off field or even on like their play?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Are you talking just in general about quarterbacks?
Q. Yeah. When you're doing the evaluation process, what are some of the scary things that you don't want to see?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Yeah, I think just looking at our starting quarterback and the traits that he has -- unbelievable work ethic, unbelievable physical talents, desire to be coached, a desire to learn. Off the field, all he wants to do is work and be with family and friends.
So I think it's a lot of the things that you look for in any leader in any organization to have these kind of traits. Obviously there are physical parts of that that go with accuracy and anticipation and being able to extend plays and being able to make every throw.
Q. Would you think you'd have the luxury in years of not having to play rookies right away, but are there ways it complicates the scouting process?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I think, when we look back, and Coach and I talk about it a little bit, it's okay to play some young players. It's okay for them to get experience and kind of see what you have.
Based on where some of our guys were, they had the ability to sit back and learn a little bit because of the situations that we were in. I think going forward it's going to be harder to do that.
Obviously just as you look at our team and who is making a lot of money, and we had a little bit of extra picks over the last couple years. So I think that for us to play our young players, to develop them, I think that's something that Coach and I have talked about to not be afraid of. That's why you draft them. That's why you sign them.
So you have that, and you'll have a depth chart where they'll be a little bit uncomfortable about. This guy necessarily hasn't shown it, but we believe in this player. I think that will be an area for us to kind of maybe grow on, and I don't want to say improve because we have good players at those positions, but it's exciting, I think, in a lot of ways.
Q. When you look at upgrading the defense, what's your top priority?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I think that, again, going back to the question, I think you want to improve every area, every layer of your team. Certainly I think, when we look back at last off-season, we made a conscious decision to put a little more resources onto the offensive side, knew that we'd lose some good players on defense.
I think looking back we certainly missed some of those guys, and that starts with me and making those decisions. I don't think there's an area that we wouldn't be open to addressing.
Now, if you look at our defense and you're just kind of honest about it, we have a lot of young players at defensive tackle. Is that as big a priority at other areas just being honest? Probably not. But that's also an important position, so we're not going to be in a position where we turn down a guy because the resources are already there because we believe in the D-line so much.
Q. What did you think of the job that Shane Steichen did? Any areas of growth?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Are you a Colts writer?
Q. Yes.
HOWIE ROSEMAN: That gives you a perspective.
It's funny because last year at the combine Shane's rooms was on the same floor as mine. Three times I was trying to see him and I hadn't seen him since the Super Bowl. He texted and said, I got something for you. I'm sitting there thinking this guy is going to give me a great present. He's so happy with the players we got him and this head coaching job and head coaching money.
I'm thinking in my mind, is he getting me a watch, getting me sneakers? All the things I like.
He's like, bro, I have this green sports jacket. I'm like, we have nothing similar in terms of body types, you and I, bro. I can't even wear this. So I actually just gave it to Nick, which is actually different body types too.
Shane has this savant-like approach to football. He's all ball all the time. Any conversation you want to talk to him about football, about players, he's there. If you want to talk to him about current events, he'll kind of give you that what? But I think that's what makes him such a great coach because he's always working on things. He's got tremendous confidence in his knowledge and his ability, and I certainly think the Colts are lucky to have him.
Q. How are you viewing Nolan Smith heading into year two?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I think that goes back to the point about some younger players, and kind of in retrospect just seeing him certainly in the playoff game, one of the guys who played well in the playoff game, maybe giving him a little bit more time during the year and experience, we talked about that.
He's got all the right tools in his body. He's got the right mentality. And at the same time, he's got to go out and show it.
Q. When you look at the salary cap increase, how does it change the way you approach this?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I think you've still got to be cognizant of the way you want to build a team. You've still got to be aware of guys coming up for contracts that you want to keep that you don't anticipate losing. And I think it also gives you some flexibility to not force things, to have the ability to walk away from a deal and understand that it may come about at another time.
I don't think you want -- it's still the same amount of money. It's like, if you win $5, it's still your $5. You don't want to just throw that $5 out and pretend like it's not yours.
This is our salary cap money. We've got to make sure we're still making good decisions with it because, at the end of the day, as we go forward, we do have a lot of guys moving forward.
Q. With the running back market, do you have available backs?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Yeah, I think there are talented players on the free agent market. Obviously we got a couple guys there from our team that are going to be free agents. I think that, at the end of the day, talented players end up getting paid. It's just I think where -- getting a little distracted. Is Dom doing the security? Are you doing John Lynch's security right now, Dom?
So I think everyone will kind of have value on players just like any other position. Obviously those guys handle the ball a lot, and they're important players.
Q. Given Vic's experience as a defensive coordinator, does he get more sway when it comes to personnel?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I'm sure he thinks that. No, just kidding (laughter).
Obviously, tremendous respect for Vic, know him for a long time, and he's had tremendous success. I think, when we talk about how we build a team overall, obviously that's something that's important to us, but by the same token, knowing what's important to the coordinator and the system so that it can be successful is important as well.
Q. You how big of a priority is it to sign DeVonta Smith to an extension?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: DeVonta is an incredible person, incredible player, obviously home grown, young guy. Without getting into specifics, those are guys you don't really want to leave.
Q. What's your understanding of the future for Kelce and --
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Obviously those guys are unbelievable players, unbelievable people, and they deserve to decide what's best for them. We'll wait and give them whatever time and space they need to make the right decisions.
I think the important thing from our perspective is you never want to see them wearing different colors. I think for us, no matter when that is, if they want the opportunity to come back, we'd want to have the opportunity to bring them back.
Q. Bradberry's new contract for $9 million guaranteed, he played some slot last year. Do you guys give him more in the slot, or is he still an outside guy?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: I think he's an outside guy. When you look at the skill set there, that was one of the positions that, as we got into the summer, we kind of knew we needed some depth there. We gave some guys opportunities to do it. I've got to do a better job of bringing in more guys to be able to play that position. I think that's one area that kind of you felt like in August we needed to add, so we tried some guys.
But when you look at J.B. and his history and success as an outside corner, to ask him to do something which is a really different position is hard.
Q. And he remains part of your plans?
HOWIE ROSEMAN: Yes, he's under contract, part of our plans.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports