Broncos HC Sean Payton Dishes on Cutting Struggling CB Levi Wallace

The Denver Broncos had their reasons for waiving Levi Wallace.

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the sidelines during the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The NFL can be rough on players and that doesn't suddenly change because it's the Christmas Season. The business side of the NFL can be ruthless and the Denver Broncos are no different.

When it comes to putting the best 53-man roster together, sometimes one position has to pay for the needs of another. In other cases, a guy might simply not be getting it done, and in the case of cornerback Levi Wallace, perhaps it was a little bit of both.

The Broncos waived Wallace on Tuesday — Christmas Eve — and head coach Sean Payton took to the podium shortly after to discuss the move.

“It’s never an easy decision," Payton said. "Hopefully we’ll see how it goes, and we’re able to get him back. Basically, you’re trying to protect your roster at certain positions."

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The Broncos signed running back Blake Watson to the active roster, which opened up a practice squad spot. If Wallace passes through waivers unclaimed, it sounds like the Broncos want to fill that opening with him.

The Broncos got starting cornerback Riley Moss back this week. He practiced fully and without limitation on Tuesday as the Broncos gear up for a crucial tilt at the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's great news, and combined with the emergence of rookie fifth-rounder Kris Abrams-Draine, the Broncos are feeling pretty good about the cornerback room. The presence of Patrick Surtain II, to say nothing of nickel playmaker Ja'Quan McMillian, speaks to the veracity of that.

"I would say Kris Abrams-Draine [and] some of those guys have been really stepping up," Payton said. "Again, keeping a young player like Blake Watson that others are trying to—this is the time of the year where some of the teams that are maybe out of it are trying to improve looking to the future. It’s always difficult. It’s roster management, though, and that’s hard.”

The Broncos coveted Watson after he didn't hear his named called in the NFL draft, giving him a sizable contract to come compete. While it didn't necessarily guarantee a roster spot, it telegraphed that the Broncos expected him to secure one.

Bouncing back and forth from the practice squad and roster, through elevations and other transactions, Watson is finally getting his chance to show out a little. Last week in L.A., he had a couple of impressive runs, and it garnered the notice of some NFL teams looking to poach guys off practice squads.

Alas, combined with Moss' recovery and Abrams-Draine's emergence, Wallace became the odd man out. But it might not be for long. We'll see if any other team claims Wallace on the waiver wire.

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