Did Seattle Make Right Call Letting Ryan Neal Walk? - Locked On Seahawks Podcast

After earning All-Pro votes a year ago, the Seattle Seahawks opted to cut Ryan Neal loose to save a few million bucks, leaving some to wonder if the franchise jettisoned the right veteran safety.

Corbin K. Smith | Apr 3, 2023

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Seattle Seahawks

Weeks after they prevented him from hitting the market, the Seahawks made a pivot and withdrew the right of first refusal restricted free agent tender on Ryan Neal, allowing the veteran safety to test the market and immediately negotiate with other teams.

Hosts Corbin Smith and Rob Rang examine why Seattle may have had its hands tied and was forced to make the move and debate whether or not the franchise made the right choice allowing the invaluable veteran defender to become an unrestricted free agent.

With the 2023 NFL Draft only 23 days away, Smith and Rang also comb through a few new expert mock drafts to see who is being linked to the Seahawks and critique a quartet of fan-submitted seven-round mock drafts including tackles, tight ends, and safeties as surprise required selections.

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Beat reporter Corbin Smith and NFL Draft guru Rob Rang provide comprehensive analysis and commentary on the Seattle Seahawks with the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast. A former player, high school coach, and standup comedian, Smith shares his wealth of football knowledge and insight on the pulse of the team with a splash of humor, while Rang has thrived as an NFL draft analyst for nearly two decades and has had his work featured on FOX, CBS, and many other outlets.

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Published Apr 3, 2023

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.