Why Seahawks might have to make tough Kenneth Walker vs. Rashid Shaheed decision

The Seattle Seahawks have a lot of big decisions to make this offseason. One of the biggest won't be about Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Devon Witherspoon, but a pair of free agents.

While Seattle has $61 million in cap space, with so many free agents and the massive cap hits of Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon set to hit soon, the Seahawks need to be smart with their money. That makes for some tough decisions.

And as ESPN's Bill Barnwell identified, the Seahawks toughest decision this offseason might be whether to re-sign Kenneth Walker or Rashid Shaheed, with potentially only one returning this offseason.

Seahawks face tricky Kenneth Walker vs. Rashid Shaheed decision

"He (Shaheed) and Walker might end up in the same financial ballpark," Barnwell writes, "which could create a pick-one-or-the-other scenario for GM John Schneider."

Walker and Shaheed are both hitting free agency, and with both slated to earn around $10 million per season, with Shaheed more likely to earn a bit more than Walker, the Seahawks might be in a position to only bring back one or the other.

Thanks to their needs on the defensive side of the ball, and the massive extension on the horizon for Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks need to be careful with their spending.

Re-signing Shaheed would be smart, as he's one of the best returners in the NFL. He showed that skill set in the NFC Divisional round, kicking off the Seahawks' playoff run with an opening kick-return touchdown.

More: Seahawks get big $14.5M franchise tag update on Kenneth Walker III amid team history

Re-signing Walker would also be a smart decision, as the fan favorite running back won Super Bowl MVP and put together a remarkable playoff run after Zach Charbonnet went down.

Even though both are players the Seahawks should try to re-sign, if Barnwell is right in that only one will return, this decision will be the toughest one for the Seahawks this offseason.

Walker vs. Shaheed is not an easy question. Both bring a lot to the table, but there are reasons to move on from both as well. While the Seahawks might find a way to bring both back, Barnwell believes that John Schneider will have to choose one or the other.

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