The Indianapolis Colts need a lot of help at cornerback, and general manager Chris Ballard moved quickly to address that need in the offseason. In addition to the brilliant signing of Charvarius Ward, he brought in Corey Ballentine from the Green Bay Packers.
Initially, Ballentine seemed like another good fit for the Colts. He had mostly been a contributor on special teams and added some much-needed depth to the position as well. According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, Ballentine wanted to compete for a role in kickoff return, and his value was in providing "experienced depth" at cornerback.
Yet in a massive surprise, Ballentine was cut during training camp, with the Colts electing to re-sign Chris Lammons instead, even though he had been released earlier in the year and was a free agent. The thought initially had been that Ballentine was brought in specifically to replace Lammons, but that plan clearly didn't pan out.
Former Colts cornerback Corey Ballentine is a two-time loser with the Packers cut
But Ballentine didn't have much to be upset about, it seemed; the Packers quickly signed him back, and all was well... until now, anyway.
There has been plenty of talk about the biggest losers of the offseason and preseason for each team, but Ballentine is one of a handful of people to become a two-time loser. He was cut not only by the Colts, who have a serious need at his position for depth, and by the Packers, despite his return to Green Bay being applauded by analysts.
It's definitely surprising to see Ballentine released by the Packers, as - like the Colts - they have a lack of depth at cornerback. He was expected to take the CB4 spot, as well as continue to contribute on special teams. No, Ballentine is not a major playmaker, but he was experienced and reliable. So what happened? Why can't he find a permanent home in the NFL?
It seems the Packers, having cut not only Ballentine but Kalen King as well, are looking to have six cornerbacks on the roster, and these two simply didn't make the final list. But it's still a surprise move, with Lombardi Ave site expert Freddie Boston pointing out that while it makes sense for now, it's short-sighted.
The Packers will inevitably need more depth, and preferably from someone with experience.
Ballentine has hopped around from team to team during his NFL career, and it's hard to see where he could possibly go from here. For now, it seems the best he can hope for is to make the practice squad in Indianapolis or Green Bay.