On Jalen Hurts and more Eagles topics from Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni at the NFL combine | Jeff McLane

INDIANAPOLIS — Jalen Hurts is currently the Eagles’ starting quarterback, and odds are he will continue to be when next season opens in six months.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said on Wednesday when asked to affirm his January commitment to Hurts. “I think when you talk about all the things we talked about at the end of the season, nothing has changed.”

The same could be said about the quarterback market with the start of the NFL league year less than two weeks away. But if something were to change — namely, the availability of Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson — then the Eagles could conceivably reconsider their allegiance to Hurts.

Roseman wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t exhaust all means to upgrade any position, but especially at quarterback. Coach Pete Carroll said the Seahawks “have no intention” of trading Wilson, but GM John Schneider confirmed that he has fielded calls from teams interested in the 33-year-old perennial Pro Bowler.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t listen,” Schneider told reporters on Wednesday at the NFL combine.

Whether his comments were meant to be transparent, or part of the typical dance that is played publicly in negotiations, the Wilson chatter is unlikely to subside over the next few weeks. But the more probable quarterback on the move — Watson — is still in a state of flux until the 22 allegations of sexual misconduct made against the Texans quarterback are resolved.

That doesn’t mean the Eagles haven’t prepared for the possibility. They have done their due diligence since last offseason and continue to actively monitor Watson’s situation, two NFL sources said.

“We have Jalen Hurts, who’s a 23-year-old quarterback, who led his team to the playoffs, and he’s going to get better and better and better,” Roseman said when asked about Watson and the quarterback market. “He’s going to do everything possible to get better, and we have to do our part in that.

“In terms of players on different teams, no matter what position, don’t feel comfortable [talking] about players on other teams.”

The quarterback position was the primary focus of questions Roseman and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni fielded at the combine. But they addressed other topics and the areas on the roster that will need to be addressed this offseason, especially if Hurts makes it to Week 1.

Here are eight questions that were essentially asked of Roseman and Sirianni, their mostly opaque answers and an attempt to read between the lines:

The Eagles are slated to have approximately $21 million in salary cap space when free agency opens on March 16, but various roster moves and contract restructures could give Roseman deeper pockets.

He’ll have more cash than he had a year ago, but the GM is unlikely to make a splash.

“I think what free agency does is it allows us to check boxes,” Roseman said, “so we don’t feel the pressure to maybe feel like we have to do something [in the draft].”

Roseman, when he has dipped his toes into those waters, has mostly targeted mid-tier, ascending players with long-term second contracts or cost-efficient veterans with shorter ones.

Teams have increasingly done better to lock up their own premium talent. If a player is to reach the open market, there is often some baggage. And if not, the Eagles have often avoided getting into extravagant bidding wars (see: cornerback Byron Jones, 2020).

The Eagles own three first-round picks — the 15th, 16th, and 19th overall — and 10 total. Under normal circumstances, that would be more than enough capital to move up for a top quarterback prospect, but many NFL evaluations have deemed this year’s class as underwhelming.

“We’re in the middle of that evaluation,” Roseman said when asked about the position.

While Sirianni and his coaching staff are still playing some catch-up, the Eagles’ personnel department has done most of its evaluating. Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett or Liberty’s Malik Willis could likely be had at any of the Eagles’ first three spots — and maybe even their fourth in the second round — but would either offer a long-term upgrade over Hurts?

Since 1991, there have been only eight teams to draft three players in the first round.

“It allows you to have more shots at really good players, really talented players,” Roseman said. “Gives you more flexibility to move up and down the draft board. It gives you more ammunition to decide if at some point you wanted to trade a pick for a player, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

The Eagles certainly have enough holes to address with those three first-rounders, especially on the defensive side, but Roseman may want to stockpile ammunition for next offseason if he can get ample return, or if he still needs to get a quarterback.

Roseman didn’t mince words about one area of need.

“The bottom line is we didn’t get enough pressure on the quarterback,” he said. “We have to have pressure on the quarterback. … It’s a priority to us. We’ll have opportunities this offseason to do it, and I would be very surprised if we didn’t do something there.”

The Eagles finished second to last in the league in sacks per pass, and while sacks are hardly the lone statistic for measuring pass rush effectiveness, Roseman has an opportunity to improve defensive end with starters Derek Barnett likely to leave via free agency and Brandon Graham likely to assume a lesser role.

He declined to assess the edge rusher group in this year’s draft — most analysts deem it among the deepest — but it would be a shock if the Eagles didn’t expend one of their first-rounders on the position.

Starting defensive tackles Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave and second-year reserve Milton Williams make up a formidable threesome inside, but Cox is 31 and no longer elite, and the other two don’t project to that level.

The Eagles need to find a linchpin up front, but they also desire a deep bench.

Probably better than most Eagles fans. That doesn’t mean they won’t look to add another receiver to complement DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Jalen Reagor, if he can come back from a disastrous 2021 season and reach some of the talent that made him a first-rounder.

“I think Quez had a heck of a year, really, when you look at him and really transitioning to a position he didn’t play in college as a slot receiver,” Roseman said. “The guy is extremely talented, extremely hardworking.

“We talked about it at the end of the season; we need Jalen to take another step. We need Jalen to do some of the things we drafted him to do. He knows that. There’s no secret about that. We’ve told him the same things.”

Reagor could qualify as a youngster who would benefit from a change of scenery. But the Eagles would take a near-$8 million cap hit with a trade, and they’re unlikely to receive enough compensation to justify a divorce.

Still, there’s room for more diversity at the position. Free agency could have some notable names — Davante Adams, Chris Godwin and Mike Williams head the list — but their respective teams still have time to work out contracts and if they were to become available, the Eagles would probably be priced out.

The draft, which seemingly has a plethora of budding receivers, is a more likely means to address the position.

While the Eagles center said he was still mulling over his future as of three weeks ago, indications then were that he would return for his 12th season. Sirianni said that Kelce had yet to inform the team of his plans, though.

“We have been in communication, we’re hopeful,” the coach said. “There has been no final decision made.”

Sirianni did have one update in regards to Kelce: the keg of beer he said in January that he ordered for the all pro to help keep him from retiring was finally sent to his Delaware County home.

“I think it got delivered today courtesy of Lower Merion Beverages,” Sirianni said.

It was a lite beer, a source close to the situation said.

The 2019 first-round tackle has started just nine games in three seasons. Not all of that is Dillard’s fault. He was drafted when the Eagles still had future Hall of Famer Jason Peters. He missed all of 2020 with a biceps injury. And last year, he was beat out by wunderkind Jordan Mailata for the left tackle spot.

But Dillard has been a disappointment considering the cost. The Eagles received trade offers before last season, but Roseman didn’t bite. Dillard was forced into the lineup early in the season and started four games. He fared well, but his exclusivity on the left forced Mailata to the right.

“To think that he can only play left tackle limits him and probably does him a disservice, but having a really good offensive line is important,” Roseman said. “Having depth on the offensive line is important.”

In other words, interested teams will have to make a significant offer — perhaps as much as a first-rounder — to pry Dillard away. His preference would likely be to have an opportunity to start full-time, though.

Ultimately, not many. Jonathan Gannon, despite being a finalist for the Texans head coaching job, returned as defensive coordinator. And pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, despite being interviewed for coordinator positions, returned in their respective roles.

The only coach to leave was Jim Bob Cooter, and while he was only on staff as an offensive consultant, he contributed in advanced game planning and on game days in game management.

“That’s not an easy person to replace,” Sirianni said of Cooter, who former Eagles and now Jaguars coach Doug Pederson hired as pass game coordinator, “but we’ll do what we need to do to replace Jim Bob.”

Roseman suffered more significant losses when former personnel directors Ian Cunningham and Brandon Brown were poached by the Bears and New York Giants, respectively, as assistant GMs.

“It’s hard for me because you see these guys and they have an opportunity to kind of help themselves and their families,” Roseman said. “But at the same time, it doesn’t really help the Eagles. Especially the timing of this, which I think it’s something maybe that we have to talk about going forward, about losing guys during this draft process, especially in your conference, one in your division. That’s not ideal.”

The NFL recently adjusted their hiring practices so that teams couldn’t block mid-tier scouts from interviewing and leaving for promotions. Roseman had spent the last five years rebuilding his staff, but he has had several notable departures, namely Joe Douglas leaving for the New York Jets GM job and now Cunningham and Brown.

He still has vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl and senior football advisor Tom Donahoe to head his scouting department, although Weidl recently interviewed for the Steelers GM job that will be filled after the draft.

“We have a lot of good people in our building,” Roseman said. “We have a lot of people ready to step up.”

Vice president of football operations Catherine Raiche, who recently interviewed for the Vikings GM job, remains on staff. Former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell has a senior scouting role. Anthony Patch and Alan Wolking still head college scouting.

And as Roseman noted, there are young scouts capable of stepping into empty shoes. Southeast scout Phil Bhaya is viewed as one such up-and-comer.