More from Andy Reid's Q&A at the NFL owners meetings

Q: What about the balance between rules and letting the players be themselves?

REID: "I guess there are probably parameters that you hit on before that, but for the most part, if the players are feeling too much restriction, you're not going to get their full genius in the right place, so you have to allow them to move around a little. It's kind of like stopping at a red light, but we know if we go, there are going to be problems. There have to be parameters or it'd be chaos, but not enough to where you squash the creativity."

Q: Do you still read the newspaper?

REID: "I like reading the newspaper."

Q: Is there anyone in particular that you've read recently?

REID: "Have you ever read the Blanchard books, business books? I try to read business books. I try to read some spiritual books, something related to my religion and then something for pleasure (so I can) grow in different areas. (Ken) Blanchard writes a lot of the business books, simple, easy reads."

Q: Do you use a printed playbook or iPads?

REID: "We do both. For the players, they're on iPads once when they get into the season. This offseason  we might be experimenting with giving them iPads for the offseason program."

Q: Is there any truth to the rumor of you bringing in WR Jason Avant?

REID: "Listen, he's a top notch kid. When he was released, I had a chance to talk to him on a personal standpoint. Potentially down the road, but we'll just see how it works out."

Q: So nothing on Avant right now?

REID: "I don't have anything on it right now. But you guys know, he's a top notch kid."

Q: Do you remember your first media breakfast in 1999?

REID: "I've had a few crazy things happen here sitting at these tables. My first one, the year we took Donovan (McNabb), Mike Ditka was sitting over there and said I'll give up my whole draft for that guy's pick right there, like a ninja. All the reporters that were around him, it was like a funnel cloud, wooom, right over to my table."

Q: Did Jamaal Charles surprise you at all?

REID: "I had talked to Charlie Weis before I took the job and Charlie had been there and kind of used Jamaal (Charles) in different spots. He still surprised me that he could catch that ball. He's like the wide

Q: Is it hard to get a team to bounce back mentally after blowing such a big lead in a playoff loss?

REID: "I think it's a great lesson to learn, and something that will help us in the future this coming season. We were a young team, second youngest in the league or somewhere in there. You live and learn. You can't take your foot off the accelerator against any team in this league let alone a good football team like Indy, and win the game. You learn from it and move on."

Q: Do you see an Alex Smith contract before this season?

REID: "We'll see how that goes. I'm out of that business right now, but (John) Dorsey will probably comment better for you."