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Bowen: Building around Carson Wentz in the forefront of Eagles' minds this offseason

INDIANAPOLIS - Carson Wentz wasn't lurking behind the podium as Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson spoke Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

INDIANAPOLIS - Carson Wentz wasn't lurking behind the podium as Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson spoke Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

His red hair wasn't lighting up the nearby NFL Network set. Wentz couldn't be found in the darkened area behind that, sitting in the empty bleachers from which fans will watch prospects bench-press, in one quadrant of a cavernous Indiana Convention Center exhibit hall.

But Wentz was there, just the same.

The development of the Eagles' second-year quarterback took up a significant part of both the Roseman and Pederson media sessions, and even when Wentz wasn't the primary topic, he was the subtext.

Roseman reiterated that the team's offseason focus is building a long-term base around Wentz, not reaching for quick-fix solutions. He did not paint a picture of a looming free-agent bonanza; it could be that one reason the Eagles haven't cleared cap room with anticipated releases or trades is because those players might not be released or traded, if the team finds it doesn't require big-time cap room to sign, say, one capable wide receiver and maybe a depth guy somewhere else. The Eagles seem to have around $11 million free right now, with the 2017 cap set Wednesday at $167 million, their carryover money giving them $174.9 million worth of room, and their obligations, including dead money, eating up about $164 million.

The main focus seems to be the draft, where the Eagles think they can add key guys who will grow with Wentz.

"We're trying to build this thing around a young quarterback and get some continuity," said Roseman, the de facto general manager. "That's our priority."

Asked about releases or restructurings, Roseman said: "There's no deadline on that kind of stuff. We don't have a drop-dead date. It goes back to information gathering and seeing the potential options for us. We don't want to do something shortsighted. It's easy to have a plan for getting rid of players. But do you have a plan to replace them?"

Roseman spoke of how you look at things one way if you have, say, a veteran quarterback and a very limited window, as with Michael Vick in 2011, but you approach it differently if your QB is 24.

"Having that guy and being able to build around that guy, it's a luxury we haven't had in quite some time," he said.

"We're not going to address any need that doesn't make sense from a long-term perspective in terms of resources. We're going to try to minimize our risk. We're not going to go out and try to sign a high-priced FA if we don't think the value is there, even if it might be hard to look at that depth chart for a couple of months. It's just not the right thing to do for our football team and our organization," Roseman said.

Reporters got their first chance to ask head coach Pederson about the decision to deny quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo an interview for the Jets' offensive coordinator position. League sources have said they heard it was team chairman Jeffrey Lurie who wouldn't give permission, out of concern over maintaining continuity with Wentz, but Pederson said Wednesday he made the call - for the same reason.

"I took a lesson from a coach many years ago - it's hard to let good coaches go," Pederson said. "DeFilippo has a great relationship with Carson and myself, and he is a great coach in the National Football League, and I felt strongly about keeping him - especially in Carson's second year, the development, the growth process, keeping it intact."

Pederson was asked about a report that DeFilippo was disappointed to be denied the interview.

"Not at all. He loves Philadelphia, loves working for the organization, for us, with Carson, and he's excited to get going this spring," Pederson said.

Both Roseman and Pederson seemed cautious about changing too much of the structure around Wentz - they hinted strongly that both left tackle Jason Peters and center Jason Kelce will return. When the offseason began, it seemed possible one or both could be cap casualties.

Roseman called Peters a "first-ballot Hall of Famer," who is "a huge player for us."

Asked whether he expected Kelce to be part of the team this season, Pederson said: "He's a player that's under contract, a Pro Bowl player, he's been a tremendous asset to the team, so yeah."

Asked what would happen if Roseman told him he needed to ax Kelce, Pederson indicated that they had discussed the matter, and he didn't expect any sudden reversals. Pederson also indicated that the coach has a strong say in roster decisions, something that has been unclear.

"He trusts the decisions that we make . . . It's not just, he's going to come in and pull the trigger on players. That's just not what's going to happen," Pederson said.

Both men were asked about Wentz's input into free agency and the draft, a door Roseman opened earlier in the offseason by telling reporters he had sought Wentz's thoughts, as last year's second overall pick prepared to head home to North Dakota for the offseason.

Under the terms of the CBA, the Eagles can't talk to Wentz right now, so he won't be comparing combine notes with Pederson on the wide receivers' drills. But Roseman and Pederson know they need to provide help there, despite the fact that, for the cameras, Roseman spoke hopefully of a third-year breakthrough for Nelson Agholor.

Pederson, asked about WRs, said: "We need better production, obviously, out of that spot. Free agency starts in a week, and then we've got the draft coming up. I'm a big believer in you build around our young quarterback now."

On the decision to replace wide receivers coach Greg Lewis with Mike Groh, Pederson indicated that coaching experience was a factor, with a young receiving corps.

"Some of his expertise, some of the players he's coached, past experiences, and a lot of recommendations, too, from around the league, that made him a great candidate for us," Pederson said.

Pederson wouldn't discuss a type of receiver he might prefer. Asked whether he sees a wideout in this draft who could step in and be a No. 1 target as a rookie, the coach paused several seconds, then smiled.

"Maybe," he said.

Birdseed

Howie Roseman said nice things about Bennie Logan but wouldn't address whether the Eagles have any hope of bringing back the soon-to-be free-agent defensive tackle . . . Roseman seemed to tacitly confirm that the Eagles haven't made a roster move with running back Ryan Mathews because you can't release injured players. Mathews' season ended in the next-to-last game when he herniated a neck disk . . . Roseman praised Connor Barwin's adjustment to 4-3 defensive end. It is unclear whether Barwin will remain under a restructured deal.

Roseman also said the coin flip between the Eagles and the Colts to determine the 14th and 15th spots in the draft will be held 12:30 p.m. Friday . . . Asked about 30-year-old running back Jamaal Charles, released by the Chiefs, Doug Pederson said: "I've got history with him in Kansas City for three years, and I think he's a tremendous running back. It's something that we'll evaluate now. We'll grade him, just like we do every free agent . . . see where he can fit into our offense." This is an exceptional RB draft class, though.

bowenl@phillynews.com

@LesBowen

Blog: philly.com/Eaglesblog