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Jaguars Replace Retiring Cornerback With Veteran Corey Ballentine

A low-cost veteran swap preserving depth that signals the team’s preference for inexpensive competition over high-profile signings.

Overview

  • Cornerback Dane Jackson announced his retirement before the Jaguars opened training camp and the team put him on the reserve/retired list, removing him from the active roster while keeping the club’s rights to him.
  • Jackson had signed with Jacksonville in June on a one-year, $1.2 million deal and was expected to offer veteran experience and special teams value as a candidate for a backup or practice-squad role.
  • The Jaguars quickly signed Corey Ballentine as Jackson’s roster replacement, with the team posting Ballentine’s career history that includes stops with the Giants, Jets, Lions, Packers, Patriots and Cowboys.
  • Ballentine is a journeyman defensive back and special teams contributor whose career includes 75 games played, limited starts and return work, making him a pragmatic, low-cost option to compete for depth.
  • The transaction fits Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone’s deliberate offseason plan of adding inexpensive veteran competition to preserve depth after losing higher-profile players in free agency.