The Colts clearly believe they needed to upgrade the secondary from top to bottom this offseason.
Indianapolis opened free agency by forking over big bucks to sign two difference-makers at the top of the market, landing Vikings free safety Camryn Bynum first, then ponying up big dollars for 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward.
The Colts have not stopped at the starting lineup.
Indianapolis signed former Packers cornerback Corey Ballentine to a one-year deal on Friday, adding a player who has spent most his career as a core special-teamer but has also proven he can provide secondary depth in a pinch.
“Be ready at all times,” Ballentine said about what he’s learned in the NFL so far. “Your name could get called at any time. It could be Monday night, it could be a big game, it could be in the playoffs, just be ready.”
Ballentine had that message driven home in 2023.
The Giants used a sixth-round pick to draft Ballentine out of Washburn in 2019, and although he played 298 defensive snaps as a rookie, Ballentine spent his next three seasons competing mostly on special teams with New York, Detroit and Green Bay.
Ballentine did not expect to get thrown into the fire with the Packers in 2023, but Green Bay was hit hard with injuries in the secondary, and Ballentine ended up making six starts and playing a career-high 488 snaps, picking off his first career pass and holding opponents to an 81.2 quarterback rating on passes thrown in his direction.
He learned a lot about himself that season.
“I don’t really get too flustered when bad things happen,” Ballentine said.
Ballentine’s defensive playing time dropped back down to just 76 snaps in 2024, placing him back in a role as a special-teamer, both as a coverage specialist and a return man who played the off returner spot in Green Bay’s kick return unit, putting him in front of Pro Bowl returner KeSean Nixon.
An Indianapolis kicking game that has already lost a few key pieces will likely count on Ballentine to upgrade the special teams first. Ballentine had no expectations when he entered free agency; Indianapolis swooped into his market and offered him a deal, intent on reuniting him with defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, his first coach in the NFL.
But he also represents the kind of experienced emergency depth the Colts haven’t always had on the roster the past two seasons. At the very least, Ballentine has proven he can play significant snaps for a team’s starting defense if forced into the rotation by injuries, and there is value in having a player with those capabilities on special teams.
“What I bring to the table, I think I bring physicality, I think I bring experience,” Ballentine said. “I’m looking forward to helping any way I can.”
With Ward leading the charge and Ballentine joining the fray, Indianapolis has now added two veteran pieces to a cornerback group that also includes all three returning starters from last season—Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones and Samuel Womack III — along with JuJu Brents, the 2024 second-rounder who has lost most of his first two seasons to injuries.
Ballentine’s best work in the NFL has come on the outside, meaning he’ll likely battle in training camp for the right to provide insurance behind Ward, Jones and Brents.
He will be ready if the Colts need him to play a bigger role.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts agree to terms with CB Corey Ballentine in NFL free agency
