Appearingly, someone in the front office has a quota to meet today. Mere hours after signing S Brandon Jones, the team signed cornerback Levi Wallace to a one-year deal, according to the NFL Network. Wallace, a former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back, signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of college. After an impressive four-year run in Buffalo that culminated in Wallace starting all 17 games during the 2021 season, the cornerback signed a two-year deal with the Steelers in March 2022.
Wallace hasn’t been the most consistent coverage corner during his career, though he has racked up multiple interceptions in every season of his career besides his rookie year, and he’s recorded double-digit pass deflections in each of the past three seasons. As a potential starting option next to All-Pro Patrick Surtain, he could be a useful stopgap cornerback in Denver.
The Broncos’ work in the secondary isn’t complete. Wallace, who is entering his age-29 season, isn’t signing with the Broncos to be Surtain’s partner in crime for the next half-decade. He’s expected to immediately compete with Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis for the CB2 role in Denver, though his 70 games of starting experience should give him the edge, at least early in the season while the Broncos feign their attempts to be competitive in 2024.
For his part, Wallace admitted his excitement about finally joining the Broncos, who were his father’s favorite team during his childhood. The Broncos traded away a third-round pick from to select Moss with the 83rd overall pick last year. He only played 23 defensive snaps as a rookie after undergoing abdominal surgery in training camp, though he did accrue 265 snaps on special teams.
Mathis, a fourth-round pick in 2022, started 11 games during his rookie season, but was benched in favor of veteran Fabian Moreau halfway through last year.
Elsewhere in the secondary, Denver signed safety Brandon Jones to a three-year, $22.5 million deal, though he’ll struggle to replicate the production of four-time Second-Team All-Pro Justin Simmons, who left for the Giants in March. Jones is just 26 years old, though he’s only started more than seven games in a season just once (back in 2021). Brandon Jones finished last season as PFF’s 16th-ranked safety out of 95 qualifiers, earning plus-grades in coverage (76.2) and in pass-rushing situations (75.7).
The Broncos look almost certain to take a step back next season, as their current quarterback competition consists of Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham, and Ben DiNucci. They’re also dealing with the (potential) impending departure of WR1 Courtland Sutton, who is seeking a trade. Denver franchise-tagged wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in March, and following their release of quarterback Russell Wilson, a rebuild is set to begin (if it hasn’t already).
Wallace is a fine move for a team that desperately needed depth in the secondary, but he won’t move the needle much in the Mile High City.
