Colts Sign Packers Veteran Cornerback to Bolster Secondary: Film

The Indianapolis Colts continued their spending spree on Friday, inking Green Bay Packers' cornerback Corey Ballentine to a one-year contract. Ballentine, 28, is now joining his seventh NFL team, with his most prominent former destinations being the Packers, the New York Jets, and the New York Giants.

Ballentine is a former sixth-round pick who possesses good size, above-average speed, and ideal arm length. He has predominately been a special teams ace in his career (874 snaps on special teams in his career), but he has spent some time on defense as well (career-high 534 defensive snaps back in 2023). For his career, Ballentine has accumulated 100 tackles, nine pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one interception.

The interesting aspect of this signing is Ballentine's relationship with the coaching staff. He overlapped with Colts' linebackers coach James Bettcher (2019) and with Colts' defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson (2020) in his time with the Giants. That past history may have been one of the major catalysts for Ballentine ending up in Indy.

Let's dive into some film on the newest Colts' cornerback to see what he brings to the team.

Special Teams Ace

The Colts already locked in one special teams ace this offseason when they re-signed former All-Pro Ashton Dulin to a two-year contract. The gunner spot alongside Dulin was still up for grabs, and it appears as though Ballentine may be the ideal fit for the vacancy.

Ballentine has primarily been a special teams player in his career, logging 874 snaps as a core-four player across his stints with multiple NFL teams. He possesses good speed and physicality, and he has been fairly productive on special teams in his career. He has posted 20 tackles and a forced fumble in his time as a gunner/kick coverage ace in the league.

At the very least, Ballentine will be able to carve out a role for himself on the Colts due to this ability. It's not the flashiest signing, but special teamers are a vital part of the operation too. A good way to think of Ballentine is as the defense's version of Dulin going forward.

Some Defensive Upside

Similarly to Dulin, Ballentine does have some experience away from special teams. He has over 1,000 defensive snaps in his career, and he posted a career-high four pass deflections and an interception back in 2023 with the Packers. Is he an ideal player to start on defense? Absolutely not, but Ballentine can give a team snaps in a pinch if needed.

The intriguing part of this addition is how Lou Anarumo likes to deploy his defensive backs. He likes to get creative at times and use sets that feature an upwards of four or five cornerbacks on the field at one time. It isn't outside the realm of possibility to see a set with Charvarius Ward, Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones, Samuel Womack, and Ballentine all on the field at one time.

Adding a player like Ballentine simply gives Anarumo another somewhat capable body to deploy on defense. Considering where the Colts were last season with cornerback depth, this aspect alone is cause for celebration.

The Bottom Line

The Colts signing Ballentine is certainly not a needle-mover in any way. He is a special teams player with minimal upside to see real playing time on defense. The positive aspect of this signing is the simple fact that the Colts are filling out the roster with capable players who can fill a role.

Ballentine can be the Colts' Dulin of the defense, which is an upgrade over the spare parts they had filling out the roster last season. In a league where so many players go down with injuries, the Colts are wisely filling out roster spots 46-53 with players who actually deserve a roster spot. That in and of itself makes this signing worth it.