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What the Eagles do with cornerback Cary Williams is one of the big questions facing the team. (Martin Griff | The Times of Trenton)

With free agency set to begin on March 7, the Eagles have not yet reached out to cornerback Cary Williams about restructuring his contract, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media.

The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on Williams' status.

Whether to bring back Williams is one of the key questions facing the Eagles, who desperately need to improve a secondary that finished second-to-last in the NFL against the pass last season while allowing 264.9 yards per game.

The lack of discussions could mean the Eagles are prepared to release Williams, who is due $8.1 million next season in the final year of a three-year, $17 million deal. Or, it could mean that the team is preparing a request for Williams to restructure the contract. Releasing Williams would save $6.5 million, because only $1.6 million is guaranteed.

How much Williams was to blame for the team's struggles is debatable. He allowed 56 catches for 757 yards and five touchdowns. He had two interceptions and was fairly consistent last season, allowing less than 50 yards in 10 of his 16 starts, and not yielding more than 100 receiving yards in a game.

Counterpart Bradley Fletcher, on the other hand, allowed more than 100 yards in three games and held receivers to less than 50 yards only four times in 15 starts.

Williams struggle with untimely penalties, however. He was flagged for only eight in 1,198 snaps, but seven of those penalties resulting in a first down for the offense.

With Fletcher and starting safety Nate Allen eligible to become free agents, the Eagles have several holes to fill in the secondary — which could give Williams some leverage.

After releasing guard Todd Herremans and tight end James Casey, the Eagles have roughly $27.6 million in salary cap space, meaning they could afford free-agent cornerback Byron Maxwell of Seattle and still pay Williams the money he is owed or a renegotiated sum.

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