Tag: Levi Wallace

Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 39 days

We are just 39 days away from the start of Alabama’s 2023 football season!

The Alabama Crimson Tide will take the field for the 2023 college football season in 39 days, as Middle Tennessee State visits Bryant Denny Stadium on Sept. 2.

Here at Roll Tide Wire, we will be counting down the days until Nick Saban and his team take the field.

With just 39 days remaining until kickoff, we will take a look at a former standout defensive back [autotag]Levi Wallace[/autotag].

Wallace started 14 games for the Tide during the 2017 season where he picked off three passes and had 15 pass deflections.

Wallace is currently a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and picked off four passes in the 2022 NFL season.

Levi Wallace’s Photo Gallery

Former Bills CB Levi Wallace compares Kenny Pickett to Josh Allen (video)

Former #Bills CB Levi Wallace compares Kenny Pickett to Josh Allen (video):

Former Bills cornerback Levi Wallace sees some Josh Allen in his current quarterback.

During the 2022 offseason, Wallace signed with the Steelers as a free agent.

Prior to that, he entered the NFL in 2018 with the Bills. That’s the same offseason the team selected Allen in the first round of the NFL draft.

After watching Allen come through the NFL ranks, Wallace is now doing the same with Kenny Pickett. The 2023 will be Pickett’s second in the pros, and during an appearance on Good Morning Football, Wallace said he sees some of Allen’s early mentality in Pickett now.

“He wants to win so bad, he reminds me a lot of Josh (Allen),” Wallace said.

Wallace’s comparison can be found in the GMFB clip below:

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Bills 2022 training camp positional battles: Cornerback

#Bills 2022 training camp positional battles: Cornerback (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills cornerback position has always been an interesting area to examine on the rosters since head coach Sean McDermott arrived on the scene.

Tre’Davious White has been a near constant on the field, outside of injuries that have sidelined him. The player opposite White has changed quite a bit.

There were some veteran experiments (Josh Norman, Vontae Davis, EJ Gaines, Phillip Gaines) and developing players (Levi Wallace, Cam Lewis, Dane Jackson) working their way onto the field. Ultimately, Wallace had the most consistent and most positive impact on the field.

Now, Wallace is a Pittsburgh Steeler, leaving via free agency this March.

An additional wrinkle with this position is White’s health. The All-Pro is returning from an ACL tear, and his status is somewhat uncertain entering the season.

As training camp nears, one of the areas to watch is how the staff utilizes their cornerbacks. It may be a battle for players to position themselves in case White misses any time. Or, if somehow Kaiir Elam nears more time to acclimate to the NFL, a reserve will need to step in immediately.

How the roster shakes out behind White and Elam will be the big battle this summer for the cornerbacks.

Jackson epitomized the “next man up” mentality on the roster, starting six games after White’s injury next year.  He ended last year with 41 tackles and six passes defensed. Lewis has been a solid depth piece in the secondary.

They will be challenged by sixth-round pick Christian Benford.  At the very least, a strong camp will slot Benford ahead of players returning from the practice squad. The Villanova product has good size to challenge for an immediate reserve spot on the roster.

Nick McCloud, Olaijah Griffin, and Tim Harris have spent time on Buffalo’s practice squad last year. A strong camp will at the very least put one of these players in the running for a final roster spot in Buffalo. It could also pique the interest of other teams if they do not find a place with the Bills.

On paper, the group seems fairly straightforward. However, circumstances will make this unit any interesting one to keep an eye on this training camp.

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Josh Jacobs, Levi Wallace included as most underrated players in the NFL

Despite their stellar production on the field, these two former Alabama stars are considered some of the most underrated players in the entire NFL.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) is a player evaluation system that grades every single player in the NFL. They do this by compiling statistics and all sorts of different data. This week, PFF used all of their data to determine the most underrated player on each NFL team. Former Alabama running back [autotag]Josh Jacobs[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Levi Wallace[/autotag] made the list.

Jacobs was a first-round selection to the Oakland now Las Vegas Raiders in 2019, and was a 2020 pro-bowler. Through three seasons, Jacobs has appeared in 43 games, starting all but one. In these 43 games he has carried the ball 732 times for 3,087 yards, and 28 scores while only fumbling the ball away five times behind a less than average offensive line. Despite outstanding production through his first three years, the Raiders declines his fifth-year option which certainly turned some heads.

Wallace on the other hand, has not had a similar trajectory. He walked on at Alabama before eventually earning a scholarship. Wallace then went undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft and signed a three-year deal worth $1.71 million with the Buffalo Bills. After spending four years with Buffalo, he signed with Pittsburgh on March 17th, 2022 on a two year deal worth $8 million. Wallace has shown he cam be a consistent starter in the league and will likely be the Steelers top corner this season.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

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Mitch Trubisky influenced Levi Wallace’s decision to sign with Steelers

Former #Bills CB Levi Wallace liked what he saw from Mitchell Trubisky in Buffalo so he decided to follow him to the #Steelers:

Why did Levi Wallace leave the Buffalo Bills for the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Because of Mitchell Trubisky, of course.

OK, not just because of the quarterback… but Wallace did make note of his former Bills teammate when discussing decision to leave Buffalo for Pittsburgh as a free agent.

“For me, it was one of the biggest reasons I went to Pittsburgh,” Wallace said via Steelers Wire. “One the leader he is on and off the field. Mitch did a tremendous job on scout team & just the hard work he puts in. Just a smart player.”

Wallace’s sentiments on Trubisky come as no surprise. Several in Buffalo, including general manger Brandon Beane, called Trubisky a starting-caliber QB prior to free agency.

Beane correctly guessed at the time that Wallace would be signed to be another team’s starter in 2022. While Trubisky might eventually have to earn his playing time, he’s currently the frontrunner in Pittsburgh.

Evidently, Buffalo also influenced Trubisky like he did to Wallace bringing this thing full circle.

During his introductory press conference, Trubisky praised the Bills and their culture, saying the Steelers, who have six Super Bowl titles to their name, have a similar one.

That’s some praise for Buffalo–but let’s be honest, Trubisky is probably giving a bit of a shot at his first NFL team, the Chicago Bears, as well.

“First thing I learned when I got to Buffalo was what a great culture is. I already feel that in my short time in Pittsburgh,” Trubisky said. “Culture wins… I can tell it’s going to be a great fit for me here in Pittsburgh.”

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Biggest offseason need for Bills after free agent frenzy

Biggest offseason need for the #Bills after their free agent frenzy (via @diloro):

The Buffalo Bills made some massive moves during this free agency period.

The Bills are on the cusp of taking the next step, as the team has fallen short of the Super Bowl during each of their last three postseasons runs.

Specifically, Buffalo have made a concerted effort to upgrade the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Bills signed defensive linemen DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle to help with the interior of the line. Buffalo sent shockwaves throughout the NFL by signing veteran pass rusher Von Miller to a massive deal.

On the offensive line, Buffalo added Pro Bowl offensive guard Rodger Saffold.

The Bills have a strong all-around roster with few holes on it. Even so, the team still has some needs as the team transitions its focus from free agency to the draft.

Buffalo’s biggest need at this moment is at cornerback.

Tre’Davious White is returning from an ACL tear. In general, players return from this injury in about 9-12 months. White’s injury took place on Thanksgiving, which makes White’s return to the team sometime around the start of the season.

In addition, it’s reasonable to give White some time to get back into his All-Pro shape after the injury even when he is back on the field.

White’s primary replacement, Levi Wallace, signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh this offseason. Wallace, an undrafted free agent who came to Buffalo in 2018, played solidly in place of White.

In four seasons, Wallace recorded 219 total tackles and six interceptions. He spent the majority of three seasons as Buffalo’s CB2 opposite White.

Now, the Bills are left with Dane Jackson and Cam Lewis as possible replacements out wide for Buffalo. The Bills could hope for another Wallace-like ascent from one of these players.

Still, the draft will most likely provide a decent option to fill out the cornerback spot for the Bills.

The team lacks depth at the position, and it would be beneficial for the team to have greater depth with their CB1 returning from a major injury and the remaining wide cornerbacks on the roster lacking experience.

Thus, priority number one needs to be at the cornerback moving forward this offseason for the Bills.

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Report: Steelers sign former Bills CB Levi Wallace

Report: #Steelers sign former #Bills CB Levi Wallace:

The Buffalo Bills defense has a hole in its secondary now.

For the second-straight offseason, cornerback Levi Wallace tested the waters of free agency. A year ago he explored and ended up back in Buffalo on a one-year deal.

No such thing in 2022.

According to multiple reports on Tuesday, Wallace signed a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Check back for updates…

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Former Alabama CB Levi Wallace inks multi-year deal with Pittsburgh Steelers

He has worked his way from walk-on at Alabama to a multi-year deal in the NFL!

Former Alabama cornerback Levi Wallace has agreed to a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had gone undrafted in 2018 and spent his career with the Buffalo Bills.

Wallace originally joined the Crimson Tide as a walk-on and earned a spot as a scholarship player later on in his collegiate career. He then became a starting cornerback, but did not draw much interest from the NFL. In 2018, Wallace went undrafted and signed to the Bills practice squad. He did not spend much time there, as he worked his way into a starting role in Buffalo’s secondary.

In his career, Wallace has started 52 games, recorded 219 tackles, six interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Now, Wallace will join the Steelers on a two-year deal valued at $8 million.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Wallace and other former Alabama players now in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

1 pending free agent the Eagles could target from each AFC team

With some big names set to hit the open market, we’re looking at 1 pending #NFL free agent the #Philadelphia #Eagles could target from each #AFC team

The Philadelphia Eagles will enter the 2022 NFL offseason with several pressing needs, and the free-agent period offers the opportunity to sign a polished veteran from other talent-filled teams.

Howie Roseman is stacked with assets and will look to fill holes or urgent needs at wide receiver, cornerback, and safety, among others.

With several big-name free agents set to hit the open market, we’re looking at the one pending free agent Philadelphia could target from each AFC team.