Which teams could the Buffalo Bills be competing with this offseason to sign cornerback Levi Wallace?
Last year, the Buffalo Bills let Levi Wallace test free agency after not extending an offer to keep him as a restricted free agent. However, it was brief and the former undrafted free agent would agree to a one-year deal early in free agency.
Wallace would return to the Bills and start every game for this defense but he saw his role expand in the second half of the year when the Bills lost Tre’Davious White. As the team’s top cornerback, he played pretty well, outside of a few games. Wallace would finish the season with 58 total tackles, two interceptions, 10 passes defended, and one fumble recovery.
He is now set to be a free agent again this offseason and while Buffalo would likely want him back, they will probably face some competition to bring him back. When looking at teams that could need a cornerback, these are four teams that could be interested in signing cornerback Levi Wallace.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears would finish the year allowing the third-fewest passing yards per game (191.6) but that was about all that went right for this secondary. They allowed the third-most passing touchdowns (31), forced the fourth-fewest interceptions (8), and allowed the highest QBR at 103.3.
The Bears this offseason are going through a pretty significant overhaul as both GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy were fired after the season. The people that are selected for these roles will dictate how they move forward but cornerback is one of the positions they will need to address early.
Last year, Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor were the two cornerbacks to play the most defensive snaps at their position. Both players are fairly inexperienced after being draft picks in 2020 and the Bears could use a veteran to lead this group.
If the Bears are looking for a cornerback that won’t command top dollar but can bring experience to the position, Levi Wallace would make sense especially if Chicago hires Leslie Frazier as their head coach.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are certainly in a win-now mode and the cornerback position is one of the weakest position groups on their roster. The good news for the Cardinals is that Byron Murphy looked much better this year with four interceptions and 12 passes defended.
However, there should be real concerns for the Cardinals on the depth chart after Murphy. Marco Wilson was the other starting cornerback, who was a fourth round pick by the Cardinals. The plan certainly wasn’t for him to start as a rookie but that changed with Malcolm Butler retiring before the season.
The best situation for Levi Wallace would be to pair him with a good number one cornerback. While he has shown he can step into that number one cornerback role if necessary, he is better suited as the second option. This is why a situation like Arizona could make sense as he has the experience and could solidify the spot opposite Murphy for the Cardinals moving forward.
Philadelphia Eagles
Another team that needs help at cornerback but has a number one cornerback already in their defense is the Philadelphia Eagles. On one side, the Eagles have Darius Slay, who was just selected to the NFC Pro Bowl and now has made the Pro Bowl team four of the past five seasons.
This season, Slay finished with 52 total tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and three defensive touchdowns with one pick-six and two fumbles returned for touchdowns.
On the other side, the Eagle had veteran cornerback Steven Nelson, who started 16 games for the Eagles and had one interception and seven passes defended. However, they signed him to just a one-year deal and they may not have the cap space to sign Nelson to a long-term deal.
That is why Levi Wallace may be a better option for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is three years younger than Steven Nelson and it could be easier to fit a long-term deal into their salary cap knowing that Darius Slay commands such a big contract.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have big questions at the cornerback position when considering J.C. Jackson, who is one of the top cornerbacks in the league, is set to be a free agent. Even if they are able to re-sign him, the Patriots should still be looking to add more talent to the position.
If Levi Wallace were to leave Buffalo, this unfortunately would probably be one of the top spots for him. He would be paired with Jackson, assuming they bring him back, and would join a talented defense with good safeties in Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger, and Adrian Phillips.
It would be tough to see Levi Wallace follow the path of some other former Buffalo Bills cornerbacks, like Stephon Gilmore, and there is no question he would make a division rival better.
However, for Levi Wallace, it could be understandable why he would go there and for the New England Patriots why they would be interested in signing an experienced cornerback to pair with Jackson.