A former defensive starter for the Green Bay Packers is available after being let go by his previous team.
Cornerback Corey Ballentine was released by the Indianapolis Colts on Friday, after the team signed another corner in Chris Lammons.
Ballentine spent three seasons with the Packers between 2022 and 2024, leaving the team at the conclusion of last season before signing a one-year, $1.338m deal with the Colts on March 14, which included a $167,500 signing bonus and $482,500 of guaranteed money at signing.
A sixth-round pick of the New York Giants out of Washburn back in 2019, Ballentine bounced around the league, spending time with the Jets, Lions, Falcons and Cardinals before arriving in Green Bay, where he spent by far the longest stretch of his career.
He was a fairly prominent part of Green Bay’s defense in 2023, playing 534 snaps and starting six games. Ballentine earned a 60.8 overall PFF grade for that season, ranking 78th out of 127 qualified corners, and had a 62.3 coverage grade.
Ballentine notched his lone career interception in 2023 and played more defensive snaps that year than in the rest of his NFL seasons combined (497), and now 29 years old, is looking for a new team.
There could be an argument for the Packers having an interest in bringing him back to Green Bay.
After jettisoning Jaire Alexander and signing Nate Hobbs this offseason, there is some clarity of their top three corners of Hobbs, Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine, with Javon Bullard also expected to contribute in the slot.
The back end of the depth chart is far from settled though, with current or former late-round picks Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, Micah Robinson and Gregory Junior fighting for roster spots alongside former wide receiver turned corner Bo Melton.
Ballentine was a special teams regular in Green Bay, playing 450 snaps on teams in his three years with the team between the kick return, kick coverage, punt return and punt coverage units.
He would be a known commodity in the cornerback room, although lacks the potential upside of the Packers’ younger options at the position.
The Packers did not see fit to re-sign him in the offseason and are likely to want to see what they have in their gaggle of young corners as they battle it out during camp before adding someone like Ballentine to the mix.
However, he could be an option closer to the season depending on how the next few weeks play out.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Former Packers starting cornerback available after being released