Veteran cornerback Levi Wallace has spent one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder argued on August 15 that he shouldn’t get another one.
Holder named one player each NFL team should place on the trade block this preseason. For the Steelers, he picked Wallace.
“Wallace is set to hit free agency in the offseason, and a team looking for more of a ball hawk than a shutdown corner could be interested in his services,” wrote Holder.
“Pittsburgh could add another draft pick for next April while still having two-starting caliber outside corners by dealing the 2022 free-agent signing.”
The Steelers signed Wallace to a two-year, $8 million deal during March 2022. He is set to have a base salary of $4 million for 2023, which is the final year of the deal.
Could the Steelers Entertain Trade Offers for CB Levi Wallace?
Wallace started nine games for the Steelers last season, including six of the final nine contests, which saw Pittsburgh improve defensively and post an 7-2 record.
A team hoping to compete for a playoff spot trading a returning starter doesn’t make a lot of sense on paper. But it could work in this situation.
The Steelers drafted Joey Porter Jr. at No. 32 overall in the NFL draft this past spring. Although they lost cornerback Cam Sutton in free agency, the Steelers also signed Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan.
Porter is the future of Pittsburgh’s cornerbacks. In the short term, Peterson could start opposite Porter while Sullivan mans the nickel cornerback role.
Safety Damontae Kazee could also help the cornerback room. It’s possible Kazee starts at strong safety, but veteran Keanu Neal could easily start as well, which would allow Kazee to line up in multiple spots as Sutton did in six and seven defensive back packages.
That potentially makes Wallace expendable.
Wallace recorded career-highs of 13 pass defenses and 4 interceptions last season. However, the Steelers also didn’t trust Wallace to play regularly down the stretch. He received under 55% of the team’s snaps on defense in two of the final five regular season games.
If his playing time could be limited again, then the Steelers would be prudent to see what Wallace is worth on the trade market.
How Wallace Still Fits in the Steelers’ 2023 Plans
Trading Wallace for a draft pick instead of sitting him on the bench and letting him leave in free agency is the prudent move. But again, it’s not the move a contending team would make.
Porter hasn’t officially earned the starting spot opposite Peterson. The Steelers don’t typically have rookies in starting positions on their depth chart this early in the preseason. But still, Wallace is listed as a starter on the team’s depth chart.
General manager Omar Khan has made every move this offseason with the understanding that the Steelers could contend in 2023. Trading a potential defensive starter, even if it benefits the team in the long term, doesn’t help Pittsburgh win this fall.
Even if Porter starts, Wallace could still see significant snaps at outside cornerback.
Peterson implied on his podcast, “All Things Covered,” in June that he could play multiple positions this season, including slot cornerback. If Peterson is in the slot, Sullivan would be pushed to the bench with Wallace and Porter at the traditional cornerback spots.
It probably makes the most sense for the Steelers to keep Wallace until at least the NFL trade deadline. By then, the team will have a much better idea of Wallace’s playing time and if it can make a run at a championship in 2023.
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