The Seattle Seahawks have already done what they can to keep the core of the 2022 surprise team together. 

But after signing Geno Smith and giving kicker Jason Myers, guard Phil Haynes, and special teams ace Nick Bellore new deals, Seattle is set to enter free agency with $20.19 million in cap space and several quality players poised to hit the market.

Among those tough decisions on whether to re-sign or not is safety Ryan Neal. 

Neal was a little celebrated hero of the 9-8 Seahawks. He filled in when injuries forced him into action. And during that stretch, he played relatively well. 

He earned Pro Football Focus' highest grade among qualified safeties. And he filled up the stat sheet throughout the year, racking up 66 tackles, an interception, two forced fumbles, four tackles for loss, a sack, and six pass breakups in coverage. He was really a jack-of-all-trades player. 

Neal earned three first-place votes and 14 points in All-Pro balloting, finishing sixth at the position and ahead of teammate Quandre Diggs.

He proved himself to be an indispensable player for the Seahawks. And it also validates the need to re-sign him as a security blanket in Seattle's secondary. 

"We'd love to have Ryan back," Seahawks general manager John Schneider said at the NFL combine. "He's a good player, flies around. He just throws his body around too, and he's got a lot of juice. In the locker room, he's a great locker room guy. Really developed into a strong leader."

However, bringing Neal back will prove a difficult financial challenge. The Seahawks have roughly $10 million in effective cap space when you account for future draft picks. 

So, Seattle will be forced to make some difficult decisions. 

Neal is set to see a pay raise. And that raise could put his contract in the airspace of $4 million, which wouldn't be smart usage of funds for a third-string safety. 

But it is also a gamble letting Neal walk without seeing anything in return. For now, the hope is that he will offer Seattle a bit of a hometown discount. However, that isn't a guarantee. 

Football is full of tough decisions. Neal played his way into a worthy extension. It is now up to the Seahawks front office to validate if he is worth the price of keeping around.