by Eliot Shorr-Parks | NJ.com for NJ Advance Media

Recently we took a look at the Eagles 2017 cap situation. It is the tightest the Eagles have been in years.

In 2018, the Eagles are equally tight up against the cap. The only difference? They have a ton of options in 2018 when it comes to freeing up cap space.

Options that also present them with some tough decisions.

The Eagles currently have $4 million in salary cap space for the 2018 offseason. They have around $56 million in cap hits, however, that they could decide to move on from.

Who are those players that equal the $56 million in potentially free salary cap space...and will the Eagles release them?

Here is a breakdown.

***All salary cap info used in this piece is via Over The Cap***

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Winslow Townson | AP PHOTO

JASON PETERS, LT

CAP HIT: $11.25 million

CAP SAVINGS: $10.25 million

DEAD MONEY: $1 million

BREAKDOWN: Peters seemed a sure thing to be released prior to the 2017 season, but he was the team's best offensive linemen in 2016, so he is back. Could it happen again in 2017? It is possible, but it is hard to see the Eagles waiting another season to move Lane Johnson over to the left tackle spot. Peters is likely gone, and this salary cap will likely be freed up.

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VINNY CURRY, DE

CAP HIT: $11 million

CAP SAVINGS: $5 million

DEAD MONEY: $6 million

BREAKDOWN: This is an interesting one. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz does not seem to be a fan of Curry, since he barely played in 2016. If that changes in 2017, and Curry lives up to the big deal they signed him to last offseason, Curry could be back in 2018. The team does not want to cut him.

Deciding on whether Curry is back decides on how willing the Eagles are to eat the dead money.

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MALCOLM JENKINS, S

CAP HIT: $10 million

CAP SAVINGS: $5.5 million

DEAD MONEY: $4.5 million

BREAKDOWN: It is tough to see Jenkins not being on the roster in 2018. He is a leader of the defense and moving on from him would definitely make the Eagles worse at the safety position.

The team, however, did entertain trading him earlier this summer. Is it likely Jenkins is cut? No. The chance, however, is not zero -- and it is more like 10%.

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MYCHAL KENDRICKS, LB

CAP HIT: $7.6 million

CAP SAVINGS: $4.4 million

DEAD MONEY: $3.2 million

BREAKDOWN: Trying to figure out what will happen with Kendricks is close to impossible. The Eagles have tried to trade him the last two offseasons, but he is still on the roster. It is tough to see the Eagles carrying him on the team again in 2018, but at this point, maybe Kendricks will just retire both on the Eagles and the trading block.

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BRANDON GRAHAM, DE

CAP HIT: $7.5 million

CAP SAVINGS: $6.5 million

DEAD MONEY: $1 million

BREAKDOWN: This is one possibility nobody has talked about. Graham is very underpaid for a defensive end of his quality, and although he won't be holding out, he almost certainly does want a new deal. Why would he not, considering he is the team's best defensive linemen?

If Graham and the Eagles can't come to an agreement next offseason over a new deal, the Eagles could look to move him for an asset. It's unlikely they release him, but if first-round pick Derek Barnett shines as a rookie, and Curry lives up to his potential, the Eagles could decide to free up $6.5 million in cap space instead of giving Graham a new deal.

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JASON KELCE, C

CAP HIT: $7.2 million

CAP SAVINGS: $6 million

DEAD MONEY: $1 million

BREAKDOWN: Like Kendricks, Kelce has been on his way out the door since the end of last season, but yet here is, still on the roster.

If Kelce turns in a solid season this year, and the Eagles don't like what they see from Isaac Seumalo, the Eagles could bring Kelce back for 2018. It is not, however, likely.

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BRENT CELEK, TE

CAP HIT: $5 million

CAP SAVINGS: $4 million

DEAD MONEY: $1 million

BREAKDOWN: The Eagles appear to be committed to Zach Ertz and Trey Burton as their tight end duo of the future. Unless Celek decides to take a massive paycut, he won't be back in 2018.

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TORREY SMITH, WR

CAP HIT: $5 million

CAP SAVINGS: $5 million

DEAD MONEY: $0

BREAKDOWN: The more you look at the deal Smith signed, the more you realize how terrible it was for Smith and how great it was for the Eagles. The Eagles essentially have Smith on three, one-year deals for $5 million each, and can cut him at any time with almost no damage to the cap.

If either rookie -- Mack Hollins or Shelton Gibson -- show any signs of being contributing players this season, Smith will be gone after 2017.

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RON BROOKS, CB

CAP HIT: $2.4 million

CAP SAVINGS: $2.1 million

DEAD MONEY: $250,000

BREAKDOWN: Brooks was not very good before he suffered a season-ending injury in 2016, and even if he is on the roster in 2017, he won't be in 2018.

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DARREN SPROLES, RB

CAP HIT FOR 2017: $4 million

CAP HIT FOR 2018: $0

BREAKDOWN: Sproles is on the final year of his deal in 2017, and when he becomes a free agent, the Eagles will get $4 million in cap space. It is unlikely they re-sign Sproles.

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RECAP

If the Eagles were to release every single player mentioned above, and not sign Sproles, they would enter the 2018 free agency period having freed up $56 in salaries. It woudl save them $47 million in salary cap space, giving them a total of $51 million.

To cut all of those players, however, the Eagles would have to accept having $17 million in dead salary on the books. They would also be getting rid of their (presumably) starting left tackle, center, safety, defensive end, linebacker and wide receiver from the 2017 season.

Of course, the Eagles won't be releasing all of these players.

The point is, however, that the Eagles have plenty of options when it comes to freeing up space -- which is a good thing, because they have some potentially key players they will need to re-sign.

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PLAYERS TO SIGN

Some of the best players on the Eagles roster are going to be looking for new deals next offseason.

All of them will be looking to be paid as one of the best at their position, and if they have the kind of season the team expects from them in 2017, that kind of money won't be out of the question.

Here is a look at who:

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ALSHON JEFFERY, WR

The obvious, and most-talked about, free agent in the 2018 offseason is going to be receiver Alshon Jeffery.

Jeffery is the Eagles' best receiver and they are investing $9.5 million in him this season, with another $5 million in potential incentives. The point? The Eagles are not going to be in a position of power next offseason when it comes to negotiation with Jeffery, assuming he has a Pro Bowl caliber season.

If the Eagles can't reach a long-term deal with Jeffery, they could place the franchise tag on him, but that is going to run them close to $18 million for just the one season.

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JORDAN HICKS, LB

Hicks is entering the third-year of his four-year rookie contract, meaning that if he makes it through 2017 healthy, he will have one year remaining on his deal -- and that one year is going to be paying him just $892,000 -- which is good for 26th on the team.

Considering Hicks was arguably the team's best defensive player last season, and one of the best young linebackers in the league, chances are he won't be willing to risk playing 2018 without a new deal.

The Eagles very well could be put into a position where they need to hand Hicks a new contract next offseason.

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TIMMY JERNIGAN, DT

Jernigan has one year remaining on his deal and will be a free agent in 2018. The Eagles are going to play Jernigan a ton this season, so he is going to have every chance to earn a big paycheck next offseason, whether it is with the Eagles or somebody else.

The Eagles do have sixth-round pick Elijah Qualls to potentially replace Jernigan with, but if Jernigan has a big season and is one of main reasons the Eagles' defense leads them into the playoffs, watching him walk away is going to be rough.

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LEGARRETTE BLOUNT, RB

Blount is one a one-year deal, and at this point, it looks like it will be his only season with the team. It is hard to see the Eagles once again passing up a running back early on in the 2018 NFL Draft, especially with how deep it is.

The Eagles could bring back Blount if he has a huge season and helps them make the playoffs, but of all the impending free agents, he seems the most likely to be shown the door.

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BRANDON GRAHAM, DE

How can Graham be on both the potential cut list and the list of players that might get a new deal?

Because at $7.5 million, as explained above, Graham is very underpaid for the quality of defensive end he is. If his agent doesn't push for a new deal this offseason, he certainly will next offseason -- which is when Graham really could hold out.

The Eagles are going to have a very tough decision to make on Graham next offseason.

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JORDAN MATTHEWS, WR

While everyone is focused on Jeffery, it is Jordan Matthews that might be the Eagles' best receiver. Why?

When both Jeffery and Matthews have played in 16 games, which they have both done twice, here are there averages:

Jeffery: 1,277 yds, 8.5 TDs

Matthews: 935 yds, 8 TDs

The difference is that Matthews has played in 16 games twice in three seasons (and 14 in the other), while Jeffery has played in 16 games just twice in five seasons -- due to both injury and a suspension for PEDs.

Matthews is playing under the final year of his deal in 2017, and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

The Eagles have not given him a new deal yet, a sign they might not be planning on doing so, but if they let him walk next offseason, they will be losing one of their best players on offense.

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RECAP

The Eagles, based on the list of players they could move on from, should enter next offseason with around $36 million in cap space. That number comes from releasing Peters, Kendricks, Kelce, Celek, Smith and Brooks, the most likely players to be released. It could go up if they also decide to move on from Jenkins and Curry, but it shouldn't be counted on.

When you take away the room the Eagles will need for the 2018 rookie pool -- around $5 million -- the Eagles will have around $31 million.

That sounds like a lot, right?

It is in some ways, and it should be enough to squeeze re-signing Jeffery, Jernigan, Hicks, Graham, Blount and Matthews if they want to. They won't be able to bring back all of those players, however, if they have to franchise Jeffery.

Creating all that space also leaves the Eagles with some holes to fill, especially on the offensive line.

No matter what they decide to do, however, it looks like Howie Roseman is going to have some work to do next offseason, both creating space and figuring out how to bring back all of the contributing members of the 2017 team -- while also filling the other holes on the roster.

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WHERE TO REACH ME

Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.